Light Generation
by Kaytee Kudo
Summary: Kind of AU story. Light's future grandson travels to his time in an attempt to stop him from his miserable downfall, but things are not as easy as it seems. Will Light's fate change, or will it remain hopeless? OC...some profanity. CH 4 is up!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: First things first, I'm K.T. (Kaytee). Hajimemashite. I like Death Note, but I don't own it.

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Light Generation

Chapter 1

_Death is only the beginning --by Imotepp, (fr. The Mummy)_

* * *

"Shit"

His eyes, wide open, were enveloped by the endless darkness, just like every human before him has experienced, just like it will also be the same for every living being on earth.

And just like the light had blinded our still closed eyes at birth, the darkness will forcefully take over it upon death, without control. And with that last fact life will prove that, as everything else in this world is, uncontrollable, unpredictable, and inevitable.

Humans will, without exception, eventually die.

His thoughts slipped away from him as he uttered that last word. He had already felt it, the sudden tug of his heart, claiming his life. And in the back of his mind he already knew, that no matter how much he struggled, he would not win.

He will die. He didn't want to die. He still had…

The darkness claimed his life faster than he would have wanted. And his life abruptly ended as he breathed that final word.

His life is over. Death had taken over him.

Humans are, in a way, interesting. They are a mix of everything—a masterpiece of the world, the epitome of evolution, the highest class of living creatures on earth. They are the only beings that can think, speak and rationalize; they are the pioneers of thousands and thousands of discoveries.

With their creative minds, they have developed solutions to millions of problems, and they continue to do so in order to make their lives easier. It was if the world was created just for them; they are the masters of this earth, and they are capable of using every resource available to them.

Apart from this, they have a mindset that had set them apart from "lower beings". They are strong, passionate, with a large potential to grow, they are thinking creatures, and they can never be satisfied with what they have, instead they dream of something more. They are resilient creatures, never backing down from any challenge they face.

Such combination is what makes them at the top of the food chain, the leaders of the pack. They have the ability to move mountains, and through the years, they are known to make the impossible happen.

Nevertheless, no matter how admirable they are, and as much as millions of possibilities abound from them, they are, in a sense, predictable. They live in an established pattern, however complicated it may be.

This kind of pattern also happened forty years ago, when, from among the vast population, a man claiming to be god, Kira emerged.

Kira thought of the world to be rotten, to the core, and his ideals speak of death to the evil, protection for the weak. It was a simple enough system, and he gained a lot of supporters. However, as the years continued, his ideals became twisted, to a point of malice. In which Kira has the final say on who will get to live, and who will die. The once noble reason became tailored for his convenience, killing anyone who got it his way.

For six years he reigned the world with fear in people's hearts, as many brave men risked their lives for the sake of justice. And one by one they fell. Until one day, in the year 2010, Kira met his own end as he himself fell--humiliated, defeated. Finally, after 6 terrible years, Kira's reign was over.

And soon, humans reverted back to the way they were, as if Kira never existed, as if Kira had been but a stone that caused ripples to the calm waters, and soon as the ripples disappeared, the once calm, clear water had become once again, the same a before.

The crime rate soon increased, as quickly as it shot down, back when the world feared of Kira. And soon, with the threat of Kira gone, humans started acting freely, their morals deteriorating gradually.

Forty years after his death Kira became nothing but history, his existence only evidenced in history books, as a part of the curriculum. And sadly, his story had not even able to fill up a page in the books written about him. For the children of the newer generation, the name Kira can only be associated with the phenomenal increase in death rates that still remained a mystery. Of course, this can only be dismissed as unimportant.

His supporters disappeared just as quickly as they appeared. Nowadays, Kira was considered a myth, a work of fiction. Created by the government to scare people into compliance. As far as the ninety nine percent of the population was concerned, Kira is nothing but a product of imagination. He did not exist.

Kira was reduced into nothing but a ghost story.

* * *

Light Yagami sometimes wished he was dead. He did value his life, and took the best care of his physical health, but sometimes, he gets the strong urge to just end it all. If dying would free him out of this boring world, then he would gladly take his life.

He hated being stuck in this rotten world, continuing this sick cycle that he already grew tired of, knowing that the future would be pretty much the same. If he believed in hell, then he already knew what it would look like. Considering that, it didn't even matter if remained living or end up in hell because he killed himself.

The only thing that was stopping him was him.

Committing suicide is definitely out of the question, viewing it as immature, an act of cowardice, doing which would be equivalent to admitting that you've already lost. And his pride would not allow that, he could not accept that. It was something typical ordinary persons do, when they one day realize that the world is such a mess.

As much as Light viewed the world as rotten he could not bear to be associated like ordinary people. He is special, exceptional, naively believing that his death should be special too, one of a kind. And he would make sure of that.

It was that very belief that chained him to this deteriorating world, forcing him to live up to every single day dealing with corrupted people, allowing himself to be trapped into a chaotic environment caused by his own race.

But sometimes, he has this strong desire to end it all…

He was blessed with a genius mind, questioning everything, absorbing every bit of information at an incredible pace, and making him more knowledgeable than any person five times his age. His parents were proud of him, boasted about him every chance they get, for being such a bright, excellent boy.

As a Yagami, and being born as the son of Yagami Soichiro, one of the first things he had learned was the meaning of justice. His father, being a policeman by profession, expected his children to become honorable citizens, the role models of society, that at a young age he instilled in his son important values such as integrity, humility, responsibility. More importantly, he taught him to uphold his honor, and fight for justice, that Light Yagami grew up to be a fine young man.

However, there are some things that even his father could not control, and that he learned anyway. At an early age, he concluded that the world was rotten.

He would sometimes come along with his father at work, occasionally helping out with his father's cases. His father would later discover this big potential to become a detective like him, when all of a sudden he found his son bringing conclusions to cases that had long been unsolved, giving light to those mysteries and bringing justice to those who were involved. Even then, at a young age, his father had decided that he would become a detective some day.

His genius mind, however had worked like a double-edged sword. It had opened the young boy's eyes to just how rotten the world was. He figured out how the world worked, and how corruptly it was run, discovering the evils in its every corner.

He sees how his father would work so hard to fight for his justice, and he would sometimes help him to achieve it, only to find much later that the well-fought justice would come to an abrupt end, making all their efforts useless, all because the higher-ups can manipulate the justice system to their advantage. And as much as he respected his father's ideals, he could not find it in himself to continue fighting for it if in the end, all efforts will be pointless.

He, more than anyone else, expects to achieve great things with his talent, that even with the countless people in awe of him, he couldn't get enough. He was so hard on himself, striving hard to become perfect, and if possible, something even better than that. He has yet to fail anyone's expectations, yet he wonders if all of this was futile, if he, like his father would exert all his efforts to achieve his dreams but find himself still at the same spot.

More than anything, he wanted to change the world, and he was afraid that, like most humans, he would die without even affecting society in the slightest, not making a difference. He would be just nothing.

He was a man of justice, yet he wondered it that alone is enough. If even by doing everything you can to achieve your ideals, the world remains unchanged, would everything be pointless? Would he, like the others before him, drift away forever, nameless, nothing? If the world is so rotten that is cannot be saved by any means, can he be considered wasting his time, putting much effort in trying to change it? Would everything be pointless, would it be better to just stop?

And yet, day after day he continues fighting for his beliefs, upholding his justice, convincing himself that he might just be able to.

But he had to admit that it was boring sometimes…

* * *

Things just keep on changing and changing. Time flies by so quickly and the next thing you know, technology advanced another notch, and society was not how it used to be. When the Kira killings stopped, gradually but surely, the crime rate increased until it reached a record high, as if Kira never existed at all, and like an inevitable occurrence, the world kept on rotting, with humans destroying their own without even knowing it.

These times it's even hard to know whom to trust. It must be a human specialty to lead them to destruction and not care about it. With a lot of discoveries, high technologies and population boom, the world seemed to get smaller and smaller. Recently, some astronomers are rumored to find a new planet to live one, although sources can be unreliable.

It was only forty years since Kira happened, but the world had changed drastically that had he been alive, he would have found it very hard to carry on with his killings. Then again, the way things are going, it will only take a few years until the world will finally come to an end without Kira's help. Sadly, only a few people seemed to care.

There were only a small number of crime fighters now; the ratio of policemen to civilians estimated roughly one to a hundred thousand, and detectives are even more rare. Most of the young generation nowadays prefer more lucrative jobs, like in the field of science, or politics. Police work is such a demanding job, and the pay is not at all satisfying, not to mention that the whole concept of it is pointless. Crime rates continue to increase with each passing day and criminals somehow manage to escape justice thanks to the power granted by corrupt officials.

In a sense, police work is a very frustrating, unrewarding career, which most youngsters would rather stay away from it, thus causing the dramatic decrease of policemen. And with that, chaos only prospered.

In the midst of it all, something is about to change, which might either be a good or a bad thing. From above the sky, a small black notebook fell freely to the earth. And a new chapter of death note begins.

* * *

It was amazing how something that fell from the sky could do this much in his life.

After seventeen years of hellish boredom, Light Yagami finally found the break he was waiting for. The moment he picked that black notebook, he knew that life will never be the same again. Now, his life was more meaningful, he had a purpose. It was decided that he was to become a god, who would rule the new world.

As a son of a policeman, Light grew up to be a man of ideals, and he was proud of that. Being a Yagami, he lived protecting his honor, and fighting for his justice. He strongly holds on to his beliefs, as it was a way of life, much like his father. His heart was untainted with malice, and even as a child he can already discriminate what is right from wrong.

He also knew, as a matter of fact, that he was a genius. He was the best, that when even the highest-ranking officials can't figure out how a crime took place, he effortlessly concludes it. For that reason, his father often takes him to work, which had been both good and bad at the same time. While being exposed to various cases nurtured his brilliant mind even further, it had also been the cause of his emptiness, realizing the unfair way the world works, and watching powerful men get away with their crimes.

But all of that is going to change. The future is now in his hands. With the death note, his dream of creating utopia could finally happen, and everything will be right in the world.

He had already prepared himself for the worst, thoroughly thinking every hole in his plan. Death would be unacceptable, if he wished to rule the world, after all.

The shinigami, Ryuuk, had not been very helpful at all. In fact, he's making things harder for him. Just this morning, Ryuuk suddenly warned, in the most inconvenient time (his sister was in his room) that whoever touches the notebook will see the shinigami. For a moment, Light had the urge to just kill the worthless shinigami but figured he couldn't and just let it go. It doesn't matter anyway, as he had already fixed that problem now.

"Hora—Ryuuk…"

He was about to explain his ingenious idea of hiding the death note when suddenly, unexpectedly, he felt a sharp tug on his hand, as if it had stopped for a split second. Somehow, he felt a connection inside him, as if someone was calling him. He didn't know what happened after that. All he knew was, upon looking at his drawer, the same place where he had kept the death note; he saw what looked like an explosion starting to happen. A blinding light filled his eyes that for moments, all he can see is white.

When finally regained his vision, his room confirmed that it was, indeed, an explosion, and it came from his drawer. But that was not all of it. Light hurried towards the window and opened it, releasing the smoke and slowly clearing his nearly burnt room.

"What happened…"

His words were cut off when he saw the cause of the explosion—and was shocked at what he found.

Near the drawer where the explosion happened, a boy, about his age, was kneeling on the floor, coughing his lungs out.

"What the…"

Good thing no one was at home to see this.

* * *

A/N: ...I've somehow hinted that Light was depressed in this chapter (before he got the death note). It might be thanks to Serria (go read her fics!), who made a fic about Light actually being depressed...and I agree on that theory. Just clearing that up first. (And please ignore the quote in the beginning...I just had to include that)

Ah...finally! I've just finished typing this, and although I've spell-checked it once, some errors might still be there. I'm sorry for the long wait by the way. I've been wanting to finish this sooner, but stuff happened...and it really put me in a difficult situation. Besides, I find it hard to start again from the very beginning. (Anyone who hasn't read the previous version of this story can ignore all of this rambling)

So how did you like it so far? Well, as for now, there won't be any new developments from where the old story left off, but was it any better?

Regarding updates...expect it once a month or so (stuff might happen again). I haven't finished chapter 2 yet, I'm still doing it; and I'm having a hard time on it. But I'll do my best. And in other matters, I won't post trivia here, and would only give important information if I find it necessary. Useless information might be posted in my lj account, which depends on how fired up I am (I'm actually a bit lazy).

...I've lately read Hikaru no Go...if anyone cares. Is it me or does Hikaru look a lot like Light in the last volume (the one where he lost)...I'm shutting up now. Hope you enjoy the chapter!!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Triple release! Yatta! Thanks for everyone who've read, reviewed or alerted my humble fic!...nothing much to say at the moment

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death note

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**Light Generation**

**Chapter 2**

No words can express the pain they felt, and no one can comfort them but each other.

Sayu held her umbrella like a lifeline as she stared blankly at her mother. It had been hours now, and her body has grown numb, almost like her feelings. She knew that her mother felt the same, if not more, and she couldn't blame her mother for just staying there, soaked in the rain, kneeling on her son's grave, staring blankly as the hours passed.

It was a quiet funeral, and only a few people attended. Namely, his only surviving relatives Sayu and Sachiko, together with the members of the task force he had been working with. The funeral began early in the morning, and ended very quickly, seeing that they have work that day, and left the two women with words of condolences, none of which seemed to break through the barriers of Sachiko's heart.

It was a tough year for her. She had been through a lot, but everything seemed to have been lost in her upon hearing her son's death. It was too much for her. Her husband's death had not even been a year ago, and now her son had joined him, buried beside his father, gone.

She could not feel anything anymore, even now, soaked in the rain, sheltered only by Sayu's umbrella, gazing longingly at what his son had become. In a way, she was still in denial, they both were.

Mother and daughter both felt the same, as they continued staring at the two gravestones in front of them. The day had long passed, but even now in the darkness surrounding them could not surpass the darkness inside their hearts, and the desperate wish they were nurturing. From the very depths of their hearts, there was an empty longing, a wish, that they keep even though they knew it was unlikely to happen.

They wished that, all of this was not true, that it was just an illusion, that everything they knew did not happen. More than anything, they wished that their lives would turn back to the way it was before, when everything was right, when their lives were just perfect. They wished that they could get out of this nightmare.

* * *

When Raito finally realized that staring at the boy would get him nowhere, he decided that he would be the one to start the conversation. Judging on his appearance, he must be about his age, even though he has a smaller, weaker looking stature. While the boy could be easily mistaken to be younger, his eyes told Raito that it was definitely not. His eyes—it was something most people would not even notice. Of course, Raito was not 'most people' so when he saw, he knew better.

The boy's eyes looked as if he had seen more, was hurt more, a kid would not have those eyes. In fact, if you look deeper into his eyes, you could tell that he was even more mature than Raito, not that he would admit it. He somehow reminds him of someone. But more importantly…

"How the hell did you get here?!"

It took a while for Raito to say that, but it helped when he noticed just how bad of a mess his room had become. The events had been too fast, that even though he may have had an idea about how it happened, his brain kept telling him that it was virtually impossible.

The boy seemed to have only registered his surroundings, if the look on his face were enough to go by. Why he hadn't noticed Raito until now Raito can't explain, but he would have to settle for the more important questions first. With a final cough, the boy shot wary looks at the room, and then at Raito, who was getting impatient by the moment.

But then, when the boy gave that almost comical reaction of a surprise, his anger seemed to have dissipated.

"Are you really…?" The boy spoke for the first time, in an unnatural high-pitched voice. Raito couldn't tell if he was either nervous or shocked.

"What do you mean by that anyway? You are in my room. Explain how you got here."

The boy looked at him curiously, observing his reactions, as if he was trying to find the right words. Apparently, he was clueless too.

"I…don't know what you're saying."

It was a good thing Raito can expertly hide his emotions, or else he would have scared half of the boy by now. He was getting annoyed. Thankfully, he continued.

"What year it is, anyway?"

This intrigued Raito.

"What does it matter? It's still 2003 anyway."

The boy's eyes widened at that, as if knowing the current year was the biggest news in his life. He was about to tell him off when he noticed tears starting to well up in the boy's eyes, emotions getting the better of him.

Raito sighed. He guessed the answers won't come out pretty soon. He had began considering if he should comfort the boy when he saw that there was no need for it, as the boy violently rubbed his eyes to stop the tears from falling.

"Sumimasen"

Raito felt uncomfortable at seeing the boy, who was currently bowing with knees and head to the ground, in a traditional Japanese pose for asking forgiveness for doing something grave, but he regained composure by telling himself that it was all normal to apologize like that, what with all the mess his room had gone into.

"I'm very sorry", the boy apologized again, uncontrollable tears streaming through his cheeks. In that instant all anger toward the boy ruining his room had vanished, replaced by a feeling of unexplained guilt on seeing that boy apologize like that.

"Please stand up", Raito ordered in a very nice way, the one he uses toward other people to make them feel like he cared for them. "It is unnecessary to do that."

The boy looked up, and Raito saw his face was still filled with tears, although he stopped crying.

"Who are you?" Raito inquired, upon determining that it was okay to ask without the boy breaking into tears again.

"I'm your…"

The boy stopped in mid-sentence, and thought about it over for a few moments. Raito easily noticed the sudden hesitation, and found it suspicious.

"My name is Yorukami Meguru"

Raito stared at the boy for a few uncomfortable seconds.

"I don't believe you"

He said daringly. That name was absolutely fake, he was sure of that, if by the way the gulp in desperation like that was anything to go by.

"Lying like that certainly wouldn't help your case", he commented in mocking tones, while heading for the door.

"No!" The boy's eyes shot up in panic as he figured what Raito was about to do. "I mean, wait. You can't just turn me in to the police without knowing how I get here, right? Can you even explain to them what happened?"

"I honestly don't want to know" Raito countered, but stopped anyway.

"You'll just let the police sort this out, with you being clueless? For all you know, I can just talk my way out of the police, then no one will know the truth."

Sometimes, Raito hated that he had such a large amount of pride. The boy seemed to have hit a sensitive spot in him. He hated not knowing, especially when it involved him, and he certainly hated the possibility of a person getting away from justice, when Raito has the chance to stop it. He looked back at the boy, whose face was a mix of victory and relief, and snarled.

"You better have a very convincing explanation for all of this."

The boy smiled triumphantly.

"Of course I have", he said smugly. "As I said, you can call me Yorukami Meguru. I came from the future."

* * *

It had been weeks now, but the memory remained crisp and vivid, as if it only happened yesterday—and the pain was tenfold. Sachiko hasn't recovered from her husband's death yet.

Thinking about it, the Kira case started it all. It was hard having a policeman as the head of the family, because unintentionally or not, everyone in the household gets involved.

Ever since Kira emerged, her husband barely went home, and when he did he it was late at night, leaving the house early in the morning, using the house primarily to sleep. And then, much to her dismay, her son, her perfect Raito, got involved in the case. Soon, she hardly got a glimpse of his husband, much less his son. There had been a time wherein she hadn't heard anything from him in months.

Everything turned chaotic, destroying every inch of order she had painstakingly kept all these years, and she couldn't do anything about it. It was like her family rode the insane roller coaster of life, brakes broken, running wildly in an exhausting loop. Her husband's health had gone from bad to worse, until his eventual death after pushing too far, her daughter getting kidnapped when she thought they were living in a safe environment, and now this.

She was in denial even now, thinking that he would come back, even when she saw him right before her eyes, even when she had been the one who had supervised the whole cremation, arranged the funeral. She was amazed at how she made it through, when everything in her was screaming in pain.

It was her son after all, her only son.

She had always been praying for his safety, seeing that she did not need to do so for his success. She was proud of all his achievements, more than even she would know. But somehow, she had always been worried about her son's well being. With great success lies great danger, after all, and Sachiko wished with all her heart that her son would be spared from that. Her son may not show it, but she knew, as a mother that among others, her son was exposed to a much greater risk. She had a bad feeling that the Kira case, which had took him to a higher pedestal, would also be the one to shake him to his downfall, and for the first time in her life, she hated being right.

She had always longed for her son's return, now that he was busy with police work; she had awaited every police car that passed by their house. Unfortunately, the one police car that did stop by their house had been the one thing she had dreaded the most, and she had cursed it with her entire being.

They had informed her of her son's death that day, in a not so gentle manner. Couldn't she understand how she felt? That news alone had ripped her of all hopes to ever see her son again. How can they be so insensitive about it? Her son bravely fought for his justice right? And yet looking at their eyes, she couldn't see any remorse. It was as if they thought her son had wasted his life, and she couldn't accept that. It was disrespectful.

And yet, they attended the funeral as it had been a favor to do so, and that they should be thankful for it. Couldn't they honor her son even for the last time? They gave her words of comfort that just passed her. She knew they didn't mean it.

She became depressed that her feelings had become numb, thinking that living was only a waste of time. She had lost it.

Today, however, something happened that made her move on. Although, one might call it as ironic, or pathetic, nevertheless, it was still hope. A woman came to their home, asking for her son, and she had been distraught at hearing the news, and being too late to do anything about it. But for Sachiko, it was different. She felt a jolt of happiness upon the girl's arrival. She couldn't help it. Her son had not left the world without nothing, after all.

* * *

"How can I believe you?" Raito inquired in a very cynical tone.

"You may or you may not. But that doesn't matter. Something much more important is to begin. I can prove it to you later, but first, you have to listen to me."

Raito glared at him, a look that says _'What's so important that you have to tell me later',_ and the boy interpreted it correctly, as he continued.

"If I tell you something about the future, would it convince you to help me?"

"I wouldn't know if it's from the future, would I?"

Meguru sighed, guessing that he had no other choice.

"I know you're Kira", he finally said. "And I can predict whatever is going to happen for the next thirty minutes. If what I said did not happen, then you can kick me out if you want."

Raito gulped audibly, considering his options. Even the boy acted in desperation, he must admit that it was the best move so far. He couldn't throw the boy out now, not when the boy knew he was…

He had to know more to plan an action.

"Tell me what you have to say", he commanded in a stronger voice, silently admiring himself for being able to pull it off given the situation.

"Five minutes from now, a live broadcast will be aired on the news channel, saying that it is a message from L. A guy, Lind L. Tailor, will appear and announce a declaration of war to Kira."

Raito almost faltered, but contained himself, letting the news sink in to him.

"So even L…"

He knew all about L, of course, given his father's job. He was one of the very few who actually knew that there was such a person called L. In fact, as far as he knew, only people in the higher ups were aware of his existence. No one even knew his face, and everything about him is shrouded in mystery. To think that the great L would be involved in this case…they were taking it seriously. But that is to be expected.

This is the turning point in history, after all. He knew that after all of this is over, Kira will reign victorious, and the world will accept his power. In the meantime, he had to get rid of all forces opposing his ideals, until only his supporters remain. The fact that it was already L making the moves told him that this would be the final struggle he had to make before his dreams could be fulfilled.

"But you shouldn't be too excited about it", Meguru countered, taking him back to the present. "In my past, when L announced his opposition for you, you fell on his trap, hook, line and sinker."

"What do you mean…"

"It is too long to explain. But if you let me stay longer, I'll help you prevent that from ever happening."

"So that's how it is, isn't it?"

"Once that is over, you can decide whether I'm useful to you or not. I'll accept whatever you do to me", he said finally.

Thinking it over, Raito felt a little defeated with the arrangement. The boy was giving him the impression that he has the say on what to do, but in reality, he was forced with only one option, and that is, to let the boy stay. He couldn't possibly take this boy to the authorities, not with what he knew.

The best plan of action is to kill the boy with the Death Note, but he seemed to get the feeling that the name he was using was fake, and it would be useless to write it down. He had to let the boy stay, in order to get his real name. Once he did, this whole episode would be over. The boy better know more interesting things to convince Raito of the contrary.

It did not take long for him to accept this whole arrangement. Upon hearing this, the boy smiled and Raito opened the television.

The news had been relatively normal, with people being either convicted, suspected, or at large at some crime they were involved in. There was hardly any good new anymore. The only relatively not-so-bad news was the weather forecast, which predicted clear, sunny skies tomorrow.

Raito couldn't; help but feel intrigued at whatever was going to happen next. He had already established that, from the way the boy was talking earlier, that whoever would appear on the broadcast as L would definitely be fake, and that he had to keep that in mind, so that he wouldn't fall for any traps he was mentioning.

Exactly on the time Meguru predicted, the program was interrupted by what the announcer had said, a live, globally televised broadcast from the Interpol. For a second, he found himself looking back at the boy's eyes, which was clearly saying '_I told you so'_.

Ignoring the badly hidden smirk the boy was giving, he turned again to look at the broadcast, and indeed saw a man appearing on the screen, with the name Lind L. Tailor, exactly as the boy had described. But would that be enough for him to believe that he came from the future?

"That guy is not L, and in fact, he is a condemned criminal scheduled to die today. L made a deal with him to appear as him", Meguru informed him further.

So that's how it is. L was planning to use this decoy to lure him out. The boy told him that he fell for his trap once. But now he is ready…

"I am Lind L. Tailor, more commonly known as 'L'—the sole person able to mobilize every country worldwide."

Truth be told, if not for the early warning, Raito would have found this whole plan shocking. He expected the police to notice the unusual heart attack patterns, but he never expected them to act so soon, let alone for L, the most mysterious detective in the world, to initiate such an action. It was a relief to know what would happen ahead, even if it was only for a short span of time.

"Kira, I think I've got a pretty good idea of why you're doing this, but what you're doing is EVIL!"

That got him. For a few seconds, his mind had gone blank, words sinking in.

"Me…evil?"

"I am righteous! I'm the hero who's liberating people from fear. I'm the savior who's going to be like a god of this perfect new world!"

His desire to kill the man became intense. Without thinking, he quickly grabbed the death note and was about to write the man's name, when the boy stopped him, just as fast. The action brought him back to his senses, realizing that the boy had just saved him from the humiliation he was about to put himself into. The boy hastily took the Death note far from his reach.

"If you do that, everything would be wasted. It would only be a repeat of last time."

Looking closer, Raito could tell that the boy had panicked as well. Cold sweat had lined his pale face, and looked as if he was breathing quickly. They stared at each other for a few minutes, waiting for what the other would do next, Lind L. Tailor's speech barely audible in the background.

Raito breathed deeply, reminding himself that he is a much bigger person than this. He has mastered his emotions long before, and mere insulting tactics will never work on him. Keeping this in mind, he managed to return to his usual calm self, with a face reassuring the boy that he will not do something rash.

Once the boy found it safe to do so, he returned the Death note to Raito quietly, and turned once again to watch Tailor. Apparently, the fake L is nearly approaching the end of his speech.

It was then that Raito got him back to his attention.

"Hey, Meguru", the voice hinted a sign of panic, something the boy did not expect from the latter. "Is it me or is this Death note acting strange?"

Surprised, he turned at the note in question, and confirmed that yes, the Death note is indeed acting strangely. It was quickly changing its form, from the well-kept, neatly looking note to a more battered, old-looking one. However, as the two of them will realize a second later, something worse was happening inside.

Raito could not be blamed for gasping in shock as he opened the notebook.

As if written by an invisible hand, the pages started to be filled with countless names, at an incredible speed that it took only seconds for it to fill more than half of the note with names, all the while continuing to look older and depreciated. Both boys just stared at the note in shock, and in the midst of what happened, they had let go of it, now lying on the floor as if it was possessed. No one dared to touch it again.

Just to make matters worst, and just when they thought that too many strange things had happened throughout the day, yet another event unfolded before their eyes, proving them wrong.

Lind L. Tailor was acting normal a few seconds ago, having finally finished his speech, and Raito was about to turn off the television when the fake L spoke again.

"That is what they want me to say, if I were L. But the truth is, I'm not", the man said, eyes unfocused.

"All of this is a lie, I support Kira! Long live Kira!"

The man looked crazy as he shouted all of this, and as if to prove himself, he did the most horrible thing to do on National Television. Before anyone can stop him, Lind L. Tailor bit his tongue out, hard, and bled profusely on his desk. Large men rushed to him just after, only to find him dead on the spot.

And just like that, the whole world was shocked.

* * *

A/N: For anyone interested, I've written an LxLight fic too, Nine Months Due, so if you're into fanfics like that, please take time to read mine too. Another fic, Right Hand Man, is a humorous fic based on Midori no Hibi. I've recently caught the fanfic-writing fever, just so you know.

...I hope there's not too much angst in here...please review?

While reviews would not guarantee the speed of story's chapter release, it would nonetheless cheer up an anxious author, and might become the source of inspiration for better and faster chapters. If you think that the author has done a good job, please don't hesitate to tell them in a review!

Triple release Next: Nine Months Due


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Yeah, I know I said I'd update way earlier than this, but...truthfully, I'm just out of excuses. I'm a lazy guy and fanfiction does not seem to want me to log in (stupid word captures). Anyways, here's to the third chapter!

PS: Reviewers are entitled to one ticket, which will be raffled on for a chance to win a BRAND NEW TV!!...just kidding

Disclaimer: I'm a poor person leeching off of my parents'...How can you even mistake me for owning Death Note?

**Light Generation**

Chapter 3

* * *

He hated his name, more than anything else. There might have been a time when he was proud of bearing a name like that, but that had been only a short time to acknowledge it from ever happening.

The earliest memory he had of his father was when he explained to his son how great his name was.

"You are destined for greater things, son. It had been decided the moment I named you after your Ojii-san. He had done great things. He was perfect. Live up to his name, and someday, you will be great yourself."

He felt a great amount of pride back then, as he swore to his father that he would definitely do his best.

He enjoyed those moments with his father. It always captivated him how his father talks, how he smiled only for his son. Although, his father would mostly give stories about his grandfather, he would tell it with great vigor, in a way that interested him, and he would enjoy every moment of it. It was not long until he knew everything he had to know about his Ojii-san, everything he did, every life he changed. His father would tell him so vibrantly, so passionately that he was convinced that his grandfather was a hero. If by the way his father talks about him, he should be.

He loved his father so much, trusted every word he said that he believed in all those stories, and cherished every moment they would spend just sitting there, laughing cheerfully and reliving his grandfather's adventures. He loved his father so much that he held on to these stories like his life, carefully placed in the depths of his heart, as if it was a very powerful secret, like the greatest secrets in the world people had searched everywhere for, like it was a way of life.

He was not aware then, that all of those beliefs would crumble the moment he stepped out of his home. In the beginning, he had fought for it, contradicting every bad insult they throw at his grandfather that he would often go home badly bruised. But after a while, he could not keep up with it, not when the facts keep taunting him in the face. As much as he would want to hold on to his father's stories, reality pushes him so hard, that the very image of his perfect grandfather crumbled apart.

It was like he had another, different grandfather, far from what his father had always adored, that his father was true in saying all of those magnificent things about the hero his Ojii-san was, and that it was another person people were associating with those horrible, heinous deeds. However, every theory leads to the same grandfather, who he shared his name with, and every evidence point almost always to be the work of that Ojii-san, that he could not fight it anymore.

Soon, all of those fantastic images, those commendable and remarkable stories were replaced with the awful, dreadful truth, with heinous crimes and deceitful plans, all full of malice. The name he had once kept in honor had been soiled with disgrace, with humiliation, that he could not bear it anymore.

The name once associated with a brilliant man was destroyed by his relation with Kira. It did not take long for his name to be synonymous to Kira, the infamous, cold-blooded mass murderer, marked with shame, hated by everyone.

And so he hates it every time he hears his name, because in each mention of that name, those memories appear, even if he doesn't want to. He hated being reminded, that in the midst of all that has happened, he chose to believe the others instead of his own father, and he had let himself fall, failed in rising high and catching his father's dreams. Those thoughts haunt him, and the feeling of guilt never fails to visit him, whenever he hears that name, especially when it was his father who was calling.

Because deep in his heart he was still wishing that what his father said was the truth, even when the facts say otherwise.

* * *

"What just happened?!"

Light exclaimed, finally getting a hold of himself upon witnessing that unfold. He looked at the boy expectantly, wanting answers. Unfortunately, the boy was just as clueless as he is.

"I don't know…" the boy admitted, looking defeated. He had racked his brains for answers too, mind working double time for the first time in a while. "The moment I grabbed your Death note, it started moving on its own."

Light examined his Death note once again, still not believing what he saw. Sure, he could attest to writing the names on the first few pages, but he could swear that he didn't write any of the names in the succeeding pages, even if majority of it appear to be in his own handwriting. This could not be possible…but then again, to an ordinary man, the mere existence of a notebook of death is far from believable, and yet he accepted the concept. Surely there is something that can explain all of this…

"It must be me", the boy concluded. "I may have triggered this. Upon first contact of it from your time."

Raito nodded. So they were thinking of the same thing, then.

"This was what it looked like in my time" he explained. The note was considerably old and battered, with majority of its pages already used. He turned the pages to a specific place in the notebook, and showed it to Raito.

"This must explain why Tailor acted like that." Raito examined the page, and was shocked at what he saw.

Occupying the whole page contained Lind L. Tailor's name, unmistakably in his handwriting, and guessed that it was written out of rage. However, at the bottom part of the note, written by somebody else, was what he determined to be the details of death, but he could tell that it was written much, much later.

"Who wrote this?" He asked, a little confused.

"I did", came the boy's reply, and it confirmed Raito's suspicions.

"But it was a long time ago, in the future. It was just for fun. Nothing would have happened anyway. He was dead long before my time", he continued wistfully.

Resisting the temptation to ask why the hell he would do such a stupid thing, he flipped another page, and noticed the boy's handwriting again.

"Thinking about it, the note reacted when I tried to stop you, it was only then that it got strange like that." The boy thought loudly. Raito was busy reading the neat scrawl on the page and listened half-heartedly. "In any case, L must already have confirmed that you are living in Kanto."

"Hey, Meguru" Raito said, addressing him in what he already knew to be his fake name. He had no choice anyway. "I'll just ask you a question."

The boy nodded.

"Why did you write one of my father's colleagues' name in the death note?"

Meguru blushed, realizing that Raito had read what he had written before. On the Death note read, in clear letters:

_Touta Matsuda--Suicide_

_Upon the broadcast of Lind L. Tailor, intentionally airs the video worldwide without the knowledge of anyone. Dies 30 minutes after finishing his task by shooting himself._

"I can explain", was all he said, looking down on the floor for the first time.

* * *

Another day, another time miserably spent. He could count many different ways he could have lived his life. Which is why he hated his life right now.

He had been living like hell as far as he could remember. He was starting to think that, like royalties born to have the grand life, he was, as what they say, the Prince of Bad Luck, born to live each misery this life could offer.

It may not even be his fault at all, he tried so hard not to bother anyone, but they do it anyway. It was hopeless, as what he'd realized just now. He was doomed to this pathetic existence.

Sometimes, he'd wonder if his father ever experienced anything similar to this, which is highly likely. That seems to be the trend right now, if you're born as a Yagami. He was, after all, the grandson of the rumored Kira, and even though he had changed his name (unofficially) years back, people still find ways to discover that his name is in fact Yagami Raito.

That name alone can cause several heart attacks, in this time, the very name his grandfather had, and which through his father's decision, became his own name as well.

Although, his father never envisioned his son to be facing a lot of problems with that name. In fact, to give him justice, without the anti-Kira group ever existing, the name could be considered highly appropriate.

Just as his Obaa-chan mentioned countless times before, he did look like him, a lot. Brown hair, which he had concluded to be a recessive gene, given his all black-haired family, rosy-white skin, soft lips, and as his Obaa-chan had vouched over and over again, his eyes. If not for his thin, weak-looking stature, which had only developed (or not developed, to put it correctly) in his later years, he would have looked exactly like the Raito Yagami when he was his age. He even saw his many pictures to confirm that.

The problem was the 'leak' that happened sometime ago, when he was still starting school. That pretty much ruined any bright future he could have been dreaming, as he was branded for life as the grandson of Kira, and while years ago this might have caused everyone to fear him, times have changed drastically, that instead of fear, anger has been cultivated against Kira, or anyone related to him. To say that anyone discovered to have any connection to Kira at all was doomed was an understatement.

It was just his luck to be born in this era, in that family. But then, his luck was never any good to begin with.

It was then that he began to realize that rubbing his eyes violently will do not good at all, as it only made his eyes worse. What was he even thinking trying not to cry like that? Everyone knew he was a crybaby anyway, there's no use damaging his eyes in an attempt to stop his tears.

He continued walking wearily until he reached the fountain in their local park, and hastily took his towel. Resisting the urge to wince, he started cleaning his face, and his freshly made wounds.

"_It would be impossible to hide this", _he thought sadly, giving up any attempt to cover it. Besides, he's been getting this treatment everyday that it could be considered permanent, just a part of his body and nothing else. For all he knew, they already discovered it long ago. But still, it saddened him whenever they gave him that face.

"Guess I won't visit them today." He sighed.

It would be the best thing to do, since he couldn't bear to see the disappointed look in their faces when they discover him get involved in a fight again, or bullied, for that matter. It didn't matter which one they thought, because at the end of the day, the weight of shame either of it brought was just as unbearable. And, not matter how much he would have wanted to see his father and grandmother everyday, today just won't do, and he just had to deal with it. The best course of action would be to just go home early, and maybe these wounds would heal faster.

He went home sulking, almost dragging his feet as he walked, not noticing anything on the way. That is, until he was nearly ran over by a four-wheeler truck, that one shook his nerves back. Apologizing weakly to the cursing driver, he decided to delay his sulking until he got home and pay more attention to the street.

And that was when he saw it. As the driver's curses finally stopped, speeding off again in the corner, he saw—not far from where he was standing, something falling from the sky, and being the curious boy that he was, he hurriedly ran off to where it fell.

* * *

"You better have a really good explanation. I am rarely convinced. Any inconsistency will get you into trouble." Raito pleasantly reminded the boy and the boy gulped, understanding what his circumstances were at the moment.

"Okay, but just so you know, I have yet to have any good explanation regarding what happened in the last couple of minutes or so. I have an idea, but I'm still not sure about it, so your guess is as good as mine."

Raito nodded. He also couldn't explain what happened just a few minutes ago, but those things can wait.

"I have two important things I have to tell you first, one of it is, you see…the name I gave you earlier…"

"Is fake", interrupted Raito, and the boy's face confirmed it. "What is your name then?", he continued, ignoring the surprised look on the boy's face.

"But I have a reason for not telling", he defended. "It's difficult to explain."

"Don't tell me that if you say your real name, the future will somehow get messed up, and you'll simply vanish out of thin air, risking your whole existence." Raito said mockingly.

"Yes, that's exactly what I was afraid of. Thank you for putting it in blunt words", the boy said sarcastically, and Raito smirked.

"The truth is, I was afraid that you wouldn't believe me, and that things will get complicated. I have to convince you to stop and listen to me for a while. But seeing that the man is dead, I find it useless to hide my identity anymore."

Raito didn't speak, but instead stared questioningly at the boy. He was surprised that the kid could be that talkative. Not to mention, he was able to bounce off Raito's insults easily.

"Why did you think I won't believe you?" Raito easily asked.

"Because you are hardly convinced, and you only believe something if it can be proven."

"…How did you know?…"

"I hear it all the time from my Obaa-chan."

"Wha…"

"I'm your future grandson, and my real name is Raito Yagami."

The older Raito almost flinched, as he examined the boy. He looked serious, and something in his eyes told him that he was telling the truth.

"We share the same name", he blankly acknowledged.

"That's right!" The boy said excitedly. "I was my father's idea, you see. He admired you a lot. But I've long changed it to Meguru, and you can still call me that."

"Are you really my grandson…" Raito asked in the same blank tone, looking apprehensive. But if that's the case, then that boy's father who admired him a lot was his…

"Then who is this Obaa-chan you're talking about?" Raito's interest was piqued just then.

"It's not who you think. If you're curious of your future wife's identity, then I'm sorry to disappoint you. I've never heard of that Obaa-san at all. The Obaa-chan I'm talking about is your sister, Sayu."

This is getting complicated. If this boy's Obaa-chan is Sayu, then how did he fit into the picture? Unless…

"I'm sorry if it's all confusing you, but there is another important thing that you need to understand. It's not really complicated but…"

"Don't take me lightly", Raito demanded. "You can tell me anything, I can handle it."

The boy assessed the situation carefully, and made up his mind.

"If you say so", he murmured. "In the future, long before I was born, you were exposed as Kira and died miserably in front of your enemies."

A heavy silence followed, and Raito felt as if the world suddenly became black. He could not hear anything but the loud, frantic beating of his heart.

"I…died…!?"

* * *

Meguru had been keeping this strange, black notebook for three days now, and somehow, he could feel something mysterious radiating from it. Had it been a typical notebook, he would have made it into something useful now, like a journal for his numerous formulas and theories, or maybe a diary.

Although, he was not the type to write in diaries, he was considering having one for a change. It may even relieve some of his stress, which truth be told, had been building up on him these past few days. He hasn't even visited both his father and grandmother ever since he got the notebook, and while the bruises from that day were gone, a new set of wounds were found in its place, not that he even cared about that now.

He couldn't really explain, but he could swear that the note has some sort of aura that makes him want to write on it for some reason, and he found himself always looking at it, as if it was inviting him…

But he always manages to ignore it. He had a lot of things to do, anyway. It's not like he had time to waste, not when the hospital bills are increasing, and his father's condition getting worse. He's working to his death, and when he got home, he could barely lift a finger, and would go directly to sleep. Not to mention that he had a lot of homework to do, too, and he couldn't slack off on his studies. He has a scholarship status to maintain, in order to afford going to school. He couldn't give up on his dream, after all.

However, on this particular day, he felt a strong desire to write in the notebook that he was beginning to think that it might actually have mystical powers. He had been dismissing the idea as a product of his wild imagination until now, when he could swear that the note is egging him on.

He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling stupid for even having ideas like that, and was about to dismiss it at hunger, but that thought vanished completely when he opened his eyes.

"Woooaaaahhh!!" He half-screamed, falling off his bed and crashing hard on the floor.

Right in front of his eyes, a dark, evil-looking creature was looking back at him.

"Aaaahhh…!", he screamed again, louder than before, until he noticed the figure chuckling quietly. He stopped screaming, and instead looked at his daunting visitor curiously, his body violently shaking.

"Interesting how you would be scared like that, considering how serious you looked when you're staring at my notebook", the creature commented lightly. "I take it that you've already established that this is not an ordinary notebook?"

The form got closer to the note on his desk, and picked it up, examining every inch of it.

"W-wha…wh-what are you?" Meguru stuttered out, and nearly regretted saying that when he saw the (deadly) offended look the creature was giving.

"I am a shinigami", the annoyed creature said.

"Sh-shini…gami", the boy dumbly repeated. "I th-thought they weren't real".

He just carelessly blurted it out, and cursed himself for not thinking. He was practically signing his own death sentence by saying that. Thankfully, the 'shinigami' was patient.

"Shinigami are real, Meguru. Although, with my abilities, I am technically of a higher class than that. I suppose you can call me death."

Silence.

"H-how did you know my name?"

"That's quite a stupid question, isn't it?" The shinigami commented in mocking tones.

"I am a death god, after all. I get to know any human's name."

Meguru only whimpered.

"That's my notebook, over there, but I don't need it anymore. It seems that you have grown fond of it over the days. Do you want it?"

"I…I don't need it", he managed to say. The death god laughed.

"You are such an interesting human", he said, after a few moments of laughter. "I guess you don't want anything associated with me in the first place. But Meguru, just as you thought, this note has a very special power."

Meguru just stared at him in fear.

"It can kill any human you want."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello everyone!! (dodges thrown objects directed at her) Yeah, well...I can only blame my laziness. Lately I'm just slacking off, I've only finished just one chapter in like a month...I don't know, I'm just not so inspired anymore...But! That won't ever be an excuse to discontinue something I've started. This chapter was quite long, by the way...if you're one of the people who've patiently read every word in this fic, thank you very much. I appreciate it, really. The length of this chapter is hopefully something that can make up for my long absence...and!...ah...my soon to be declining updates starting next week.

But that's because I have a job now (hurray for me), and truthfully, I think I'll find it harder to take the time and write a chapter in periods shorter than a month...and the audit season is fast approaching...which would make me an exhausted person, really. So please be patient.

But!...(yeah, I seem to use that word a lot of times now) Nine Months Due readers should not fear the sudden turn of events, as I have successfully written the next chapter and will update within the week...although, I really need insights from my dear readers on this one. (Please check the bottom of this page as to what.) Unfortunately, I have to apologize for my 'Right Hand Man' readers, as I will not update it any further until I finish Light Generation (which will take a while)

Please review, everyone! I have not edited this chapter at all, so there may be typos or grammar errors, don't hesitate to point that out. And thanks for the support, guys!

**Regarding Nine Months Due:**

As any NMD reader knows, the story features Light being pregnant...and...yeah. I admit that that's the main part I'm having trouble with. The fact is, though I've seen a lot of my family members get pregnant over the years, I'm still a total noob at it, and therefore I don't know what to expect. Like what do people feel during the first three months? and stuff. Anyone willing to inform me on this issue may do so in a private message or review. Suggestions on what would happen during Light's pregnancy are also welcome...Suggestions on any of my fanfics are also more than welcome.

Offers on beta-ing are also welcome, especially for this fic (Light Generation) and 9 mos Due, just PM me if interested. I'd very much prefer someone who can help me improve the plot and give really helpful criticism, and...ahem!...character development (coz I suck at it). My beta will have the privilege to read my stories earlier (they really need to), as well as get the idea of the plot and such. Don't hesitate to PM me if you're interested.

Yeah...this has gotten so long. Review everyone!!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Happy 22nd birthday to me! In light of this, I'm treating you guys to an early update! (Check my other fic, Nine Months Due, too) Thanks to all those who've reviewed, alerted or faved this fic! I'm really touched.

Disclaimer: I did attempt to wish the ownership of Death Note as a birthday gift, but they said I was pushing my luck.

**

* * *

**

Light Generation

**Chapter 4**

"Tell me about my mother."

Rai-chan, as he was fondly called by both his father and grandmother (who also happened to be his only family), was resting his head on his Obaa-chan's lap when he suddenly said those words. It was his birthday today, him just turning five. Soon, he will be going to school, and making them proud.

The two adults stared at him bewildered. It was not a secret that they were poor, and recently, their source of income had become short. They had intended to celebrate their favorite boy's birthday filled with food, and lots of people having fun, but instead, seeing that their finances are low, they decided to spend it quietly, watching the early blossoms and telling stories of their happy memories.

Raito, having only turned five, might not like the arrangement, and both father and grandmother had expected him asking why it is so. They were expecting questions on why he could not celebrate his birthday like other children his age, and at worse, why they are poor. They had braced themselves for that, and had an answer ready, carefully prepared beforehand. They were ready for questions relating to this matter.

This other question however, took them out of the comfort zone. They were not expecting this, so to speak, it had never crossed their mind, that such a young child would.

Either way, they could never be prepared.

"Why ask so suddenly, Rai-chan?" Sayu asked calmly, looking back at his grandson lovingly.

Innocent eyes looked back at his Obaa-chan, with a similar innocent answer.

"I want to see my mother, Obaa-chan. I want to know something about her. I want to dream about her."

Sayu smiled, which for some reason made him feel a bit relieved. He had a bad feeling that she'd be sad, seeing how they never talk about her. But her smile told her that it was okay to ask that, that being curious is normal.

Although, a few years from now, he would come to realize how much pain she was trying to hide from that smile, but right now, seeing her smile like that assured him that he didn't say anything wrong.

"Your mother is the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on", his father joined the conversation, sitting next to his son. "And she is very kind. The best memories I ever had was being with her."

He stroked his son's hair, and he smiled back.

"When I look at you, I remember her", he said longingly.

He remembered his heart welling up with pride and happiness as he smiled back at his father.

It would take him a few years to know the whole truth, to know that his mother came from a prestigious family, who married his father without knowing the truth, how she was disowned by her family upon knowing about the marriage, and how she'd cried for days when she discovered her husband's lineage.

He would soon discover, much later, just how much she had regretted marrying someone connected to Kita, to the point of wishing his still unborn son dead and how upon birth she had refused to look at her son, refusing to eat until she finally committed suicide.

However, at that very moment, sitting with his Obaa-chan and father, he had thought of nothing but happy thoughts, wishing to see his mother more. At that time, he was happy, everything was right in the world. At that time, the only thing missing was his mother.

* * *

Raito had never thought of dying, or in a conservative sense, the idea of death had been the least of his worries. It may have crossed his mind once or twice, but to see himself actually dying the day after was at worse a remote possibility for him.

His grandparents on both sides of his family had been dead before he was born, with the exception of Sayuri, Sachiko's mother, who died when he was two, but he had been too young to actually grasp what was happening. To put it simply, he had grown without someone close to him dying. He had heard about one or two of his schoolmate's mom or dad die, he had dealt with a lot of murder cases, one of their distant relatives even collapsed to their death, but thinking about it, there was never a time when he felt any fear or danger that he or anyone close to him, for that matter, might actually die.

He was aware that someday, he will die. But deep in his heart, he could not envision himself dying, or in the danger of dying in the near future. Even now, as Kira, death meant nothing to him, even when he had killed thousands of criminals (he knew it was the right thing to do). He may have experienced an initial shock in killing his first victim, Otoharada, much more with Shibuimaru dying in front of him, but he had already gotten over it, dismissing it as something that did not affect him emotionally, or in any other way. It was his duty to rid the world of evil, as such, their deaths are necessary to achieve such task.

He viewed death just as he had before, in the same distant way, concluding that every death was rightful, just as planned. Lately, he was having the feeling that, coincidence or not, fate had chosen him to kill off those he judged to be unworthy of living, create an ideal world, and eventually become the god of the new world.

Somehow, this belief had made the concept of death farther and farther away from his mind.

Because of course, gods don't die.

The idea of him dying was next to impossible.

"I…died!?" he questioned blankly, not even caring to know the likely answer.

That question alone opened a lot more questions in Raito's head, too much that he couldn't utter a single one. It was enough to rattle his very being, to question his beliefs. Ironically, for someone who could kill very easily, he had realized that he was the one who was the most afraid of death. The very prediction of his upcoming death was enough to shake his senses, enough to stop any of his thought processes to surface.

The boy, who had preferred to be called Meguru, could not help but feel pity for this pathetic man in front of him, whimpering at the sudden realization that his death is certain. But, in his heart, he could feel something else, something he could not explain, upon seeing his future grandfather like this.

It felt as if a large gap had suddenly vanished, a feeling of connection, that somehow, right now, he could understand, if even for a small part, one of the reasons his Ojii-san could have done what he had despised, and he, for a strange reason, was happy. His grandfather had flaws too, unlike what he was told before. But that is fine. It is still not too late.

"You died", he confirmed again. "You died humiliated, exposed, in front of your enemies. Every last one of your plan crumbled, and no one was there to help you."

Raito fell to the floor, knees touching his chin as his hands clutched his head.

'How…could I…?"

It was evident that the news of his death came to him as a shock, as shown in his wide eyes, still searching for any explanation.

"That was all they said to my Sayu Obaa-chan. Everything else was confidential", Meguru said gently.

"I…see…", he said weakly, still not recovered from the shock. It took him a few more minutes to continue. "Then, what happened?"

Meguru looked at him again, full of concern, assessing whether it is best to continue or not. He sighed finally, deciding that he might as well.

"The news saddened your mother and sister, and they took it all heavily, since you father died too, earlier than you. It was the second death in just 2 years, after all. It had devastated the family, and life was never the same again", he said slowly. "Sachiko Obaa-san's health never got any better, eventually dying from depression."

Meguru always found most of the things in his life depressing, and he hated it. More than anything, he hated talking about it, retelling everything, feeling those painful memories again, it always made him sad, though, his personality might have something to do about it. He had always been a crybaby, even now. Especially now, when he knew he was alone, knew that the only guy who can help him was this guy in front of him.

He had to tell everything to this man, he had to convince him, to make him believe. It was hard for him, he couldn't help but remember the pain. Seeing the man crumble, seeing him in that state, he could not explain it. He took a deep breath and braced himself, resolving not to show any signs of emotion whatsoever, upon telling this story.

"But before that, just months after your death, a woman appeared, with a small boy with her. She claimed that the boy was your son, and that she was looking for you. When they told her the news, she lost all hope and left, leaving her son in Sayu Obaa-chan's care. After a few days, they heard she committed suicide", he bit his lip, finding it hard to continue without crying. "We never found any other information about her, not even her name. The police said it was 'confidential'"

Raito just sat silently, face blank as he listened.

"But Sayu Obaa-chan confirmed that he was indeed your son, by DNA test, and she adopted him. Rather, she lied to the police and told them it was her son."

Meguru threw a quick glance at Raito, who was still as stoic as ever.

"My father grew up to be a Kira supporter, all the while admiring his own father too, to the highest degree. He was not aware that Kira and Raito Yagami were one and the same, up to the time he died. He married young and had a son a year after. He named me after you", Meguru continued, in the same careful tone, the desire to stop increasing with each second.

"However, that was the time when this horrible rumor spread throughout the world. I was still young then, and it affected the family greatly, crushing any hope of recovery it had managed to have after those years. My mother was one of the first to know, and she committed suicide upon discovery of it."

It was Raito's turn to look at the boy. For some reason, he felt horrible hearing all of this, as if it was all his fault that everything happened. He could already see the tears threatening to fall in the boy's eyes, and he couldn't' help but feel this…guilt?

"Sayu Obaa-chan inherited the house when Sachiko Obaa-san died, and she had no choice but raise me too, with my mother dead. She never got married. Men didn't want to get close to Kira's sister. She raised me and my father in this house."

Of course it was guilt. Although these things still didn't and (if he could help it) wouldn't happen as of today, knowing the consequences upon failing was great, affecting a lot of people that he did not intend to hurt. He had to be careful for that not to happen again.

"It was not long after that my father got insane, and Sayu Obaa-chan suffered a stroke. My father was sent to a mental institution while my Obaa-chan was confined in the hospital.:

Meguru clenched his fists tightly, remembering the anger he felt back then.

"As for me, I was forced to live alone, working in several part-time jobs to pay for the medical fees, all while being the target of bullyings and gossips in my school. It was a very hard time for me. I had thought of killing myself hundreds of times then, but I couldn't. My family needs me."

Meguru was crying uncontrollably now, and Raito, seemingly recovered from the deep blow of news just a while ago, did something that he himself could not believe. He found his own hand slowly reaching to comfort the boy, as he spoke.

"I'm sorry"

It was the first time he had apologized to someone, and meant it. It was genuine, not the ones he usually gave, but a heartfelt one. It was a first for him. Raito looked at the boy, who had appreciated the gesture and was gradually controlling his tears, until he finally spoke again.

"Fortunately, I had met someone who had helped me, and had made my life a little less miserable. It was all thanks to him that I was able to endure all of the problems life keeps throwing at me, and even though he could not do anything about the death of my father and grandmother, he still gave all his effort in order to save the family."

Raito's eyes lighted up, looking curious, but Meguru spoke first.

"He did manage to save me, though, and without his help, I would not be able to travel back here in the first place." He sighed wistfully, remembering those memories, as if it were miles away, never to be experienced again. "He wished that Kira would be stopped before he'd reach his untimely end, and I'm going to fulfill that wish, as a respect for him. Which is why I'm here to help you."

"Who is he?" Raito finally asked, very curious, to say the least.

"His name is Rage, and he is a shinigami I met when I found a Death note."

* * *

Meguru continued staring at the black notebook, as I he was hypnotized.

"Hey, it's been three hours already, can I assume you've died of shock from the news or should I just do it myself?" Rage, the shinigami who is supposed to own the black notebook, warned impatiently

His eyes remained blank.

"Fine."

Giving up, the shinigami decided it best to just end it that way. He reached for his notebook.

"That notebook can kill people?" Meguru curiously asked, in a weak but curious voice.

"I don't like repeating what I've already said but yes, it can. This is a shinigami's notebook after all." Rage said as a matter-of-factly.

The mysterious shinigami looked amused upon seeing the boy's reaction. Just from hearing the confirmation, his eyes widened in an almost comical way, his face remained like that for a good full minutes until he regained his composure and calmed down.

"But of course, there are a few conditions. For one, you need to know his name and face in order for the death to take effect", Rage arrogantly explained.

"Sh-shinigami-san, then, can I ask a question?"

The shinigami nodded in approval.

The boy straightened up, as if he was trying to muster enough courage, and continued.

"Why did you drop that notebook here? If that notebook is so important, shouldn't you have taken better care of it?"

The shinigami laughed harshly, causing Meguru to shake involuntarily. Unfortunately, he was the only audience to the most evil laugh anyone can hear, and it rang loudly in his ear like a nightmare.

"That's true. For shinigami, the Death note is very important, as it is their source of life. Losing it would be out of the question." Rage started, once he finally stopped his sinister laugh. "However, I am different than typical shinigami. Some of them consider me special. You see, I already have certain powers that make the Death note useless for me. I don't need it anymore, so I threw it away."

"B-but…why? That note is very dangerous in the hands of humans", Meguru argued.

"I was bored", Rage simply answered. "Besides, humans are more interesting than shinigami any day."

Meguru's face showed disbelief until Rage continued.

"But aside from that, I'm looking for something that's mine."

"…"

"What exactly are you looking for?" Meguru finally managed to say, after waiting for a moment for the information to sink in.

The shinigami grinned, satisfied on causing such shock from the boy.

"You amuse me", he said, earning a very puzzled look from Meguru.

"Huh?"

The shinigami's smile grew even wider.

"You don't realize how entertaining you are, don't you?"

Rage made a smile that showed all his teeth. They are, surprisingly, white and aligned, like that of a model's.

"As a reward for being the first to make me smile in my whole life, I'll tell you everything. But you have to listen to the end."

Meguru nodded fervently, ushering him to continue. Rage gave one last smile and started talking.

"The truth is, I've been roaming this world for years now, and it had been very boring that I had lost track of time. Any other shinigami would have given up."

The boy was looking at him with eyes full of interest, and he continued.

"I would have preferred to waste away my time in the shinigami world, but I can't, and my longest stay in that world only lasted three days. I am forced to stay here, until I find it. And it's definitely annoying, what with people not even seeing you. I hate being alone."

"Then, why are you forced to stay here?"

"Shinigami rules, of course. I have to follow them if I were to avoid any consequences, because even a great shinigami like me is bound to follow them at all costs."

Rage sighed, relieved at finally having someone to complain about his predicament.

"All because they insisted that there is still a notebook here that I technically own."

"Wh-what do you mean…", Meguru muttered, but was cut short.

"I have not always been a shinigami, you know. I used to be human before I died", Rage admitted, eyes turning sad.

"I used to be Kira."

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I know, I was practically throwing it away when I named him Rage...but was it that lame? Tell me in a review okay?

I love reviews...you know? I could even consider one as a birthday present. Review Please?

Think you could have done better with this fic? Then why don't you beta it! If you're interested to beta my humble fic, please PM me. Further details can be found in my profile page.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Finally back!!! Though, I know most of you guys were looking forward to a chapter of NMD, I decided it best to update this fic first. The next release will depend on how much reaction I get from you guys. Well then, enjoy!!!

------In memory of Juliet-----

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.

Light Generation

Chapter 5

"If that's the case then, we really need to let him stay here for Nee-san's sake."

Even Raito, who had thought of it all, could not believe what he was hearing. His mother believed everything he told her. Was he really that credible? The whole stuff they made up sounded so stupid to be even called a lie. He kept fighting the urge to slap himself the whole time he narrated the story to his mother. And his mother believed everything he said, just like that. Without second thought. Even he couldn't believe himself to be that good of a liar.

Although, somehow, maybe the boy helped in making the story that convincing. Meguru-kun's looks must have helped him in convincing his mother about the lie. In fact, if you look closely, his eyes looked incredibly similar to Raito's. Hell, if he had grown his hair a bit longer, wore one of Raito's clothes, remove his glasses and maybe go outside more, he would have been the spitting image of Raito, only with slight, immaterial alterations. Raito got the picture of how he might have looked like if he had lived his life as a nerd.

Meguru looked like the typical nerd. He had short, clean-cut hair, which was slightly darker than Raito's, thick black nerdy-looking glasses and an extremely pale complexion. Had this guy ever went outside at all? In addition to that he had the typical nerd-weak stature and was a little shorter than Raito.

Nevertheless, he had that unique charisma that draws people closer to him, a great personality and a smile that can melt even the coldest of hearts. Raito should know, as he also had that million-dollar smile that gets him what he wants.

And anyway, thinking about it, the lie was brilliantly made, and it uncanilly matches the truth, as Raito would discover afterwards. There was, in fact, a real older sister named Akiko, and she indeed eloped to some remote town when she was younger. She did, in fact had a son and all other bits and pieces of the story could be traced to reality, only that Meguru was not actually the son.

Raito had to commend Meguru for making up that lie so quickly, and making it so accurate that no one ever doubted it to be a lie. He liked people who prepare for anything. Meguru really did his homework.

'One less thing to worry about' Raito thought.

Truth be told, he was relieved that Meguru quickly thought of that idea, seeing that his mind had gone blank for the moment. Information overload is not something he enjoyed, and even though at some other time he could have handled twice the amount of facts in a cinch, it was different this time. It was something only people who'd been informed of their death straight in the face would understand. You could obviously see that it was unpleasant.

"You could share Raito's room", his mother continued. "And I'll discuss this with Souichiro. I'm sure he'll let you stay." Sachiko said cheerfully.

Meguru nodded, and smiled weakly.

"You're too kind, Sachiko Oba-san. I'm really grateful", he said, bowing.

"Nonsense. You're my nephew, after all. I like it when youngsters like you work hard for their dreams." Sachiko blushed at seeing the boy bow at her. "Besides, it will be nice for Raito to have friends his own age."

Raito could not believe his own mother, who seemed to look captivated by the boy's charms. Meguru is really playing his card right.

"Oh, and about school…" Meguru started, with a little hesitation in his voice.

"You can go and attend Raito's school", Sachiko offered. "I think that won't be a problem."

Meguru smiled.

"Thank you very much. I will try to apply for a scholarship grant offered there, so that I wouldn't be so much of a burden."

"It's really not a big deal, Meguru-kun." Sachiko replied. "Consider yourself at home."

Meguru bowed once again.

* * *

Meguru couldn't believe it. Before his eyes stood the man who used to be Kira. He clenched his fists tightly, breathing hard. A moment later, he swung his fists at the shinigami, taking the blow full force. Chest heaving, he attempted to punch the death god again, but was immediately caught by Rage's hand.

"What did you do that for?!" Rage asked exasperatedly.

The boy was still panting, but the look of anger he was giving could be enough to intimidate anyone, even a shinigami.

"If you really are Kira, then you should know why!"

His eyes were full of righteous anger.

"Did you know how horrible our lives had become because of you? My whole family had to endure all kinds of suffering just because of the rumors associated with you. To think you actually existed…"

"Kira is nothing but a rumor now?" Rage asked in disbelief.

"If you really roam the world for a long time, you should have known. Majority of the people think that Kira did not exist, and what happened years ago were just a medical phenomenon. Although, some people insist that he is real, and that he is related to the Yagami family. You have no idea how hard it is to live with those people condemning you. It's like I'm in hell already."

Rage watched as the boy expressed his anger. His tears are already starting to fall as he breathed heavily. He sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry. It's true. I've seen it all. But I can't do anything. I've felt helpless ever since I became a shinigami. It's like a curse."

Meguru seemed to have calmed down.

"I can't describe how happy I was when I discovered that someone took my death note. I've been letting it fall from the sky at least ten times now. No one seemed to notice it. Except you."

Meguru's breath hitched.

"It seems that you are the only one who can see my note. I don't know why it doesn't work on other people, but I'm just so happy that someone can finally see me to even care about it."

For a while, Meguru felt sympathy for the shinigami. It had been a year now since he had been living alone, and he can relate to how hard it is. For someone to experience it their entire lives with virtually no one to talk to must be horrible.

"You're going to help me, right? I mean, it seems like you're the only one who can. I don't want to spend another year with no one to talk to, wandering aimlessly to find that notebook."

Meguru smiled, now that he had let go of his anger, he realized that the shinigami wasn't so bad after all, but if he was Kira…

"Of course I'll help you."

And Rage smiled once again

* * *

He couldn't stand it. Nothing in the whole history of the world could amount to a crime so horrible, so heinous, so large scale such as this one. Never in his entire life did he remember himself to be this angry, furious even, at a single criminal. For the first time in his entire career as a world-class detective, L Lawliet had done what he had thought was impossible for him to do: get emotional over a case.

The actual words should have been "went through a very violent, righteous rage, mind going blank for a few moments, thinking about nothing else but exhibit anger in all dimensions of his being", but that would have been too much. And L was always conservative in choosing his words, even if it was used to explain to himself what happened to him that day.

It was a mistake to do that experiment, he realized now, after getting the worst possible effects. He hadn't seen it coming. He still remembered, back when he was still formulating his plan. He already deduced that Kira can kill remotely, without touching a single hair on his victims, but he had to make sure, partly to confirm his theory and partly to prove his credibility to the Japanese police.

The test convict, more appropriately called "sacrifice", had been very willing to go through all this. The agreement of freeing him if he survived was all just designed to keep Tailor at ease, since he knew that he'd die anyway. He was only looking out for the 5 percent chance that he won't.

The idea that Lind L. Tailor would suddenly announce his support for Kira and commit suicide in front of the special broadcast never even crossed his mind. Much more, he didn't expect the Japanese police to be that err…negligent to make the pretend National broadcast to be an actual National broadcast. The announcement was shown to more than 10 million viewers in the whole of Japan, as opposed to the planned 1 million or so.

And worst of all, as it to exceed his expectations to the most horrible way possible, more than 3,000 criminals, a mixture of convicts, suspects and even names hidden to the general public died at the same time his decoy L died. That had topped it all. That had made him snap. Because of all of that, aside from the fact that he had a lot of explaining and paperwork to do, he was so angry that the appearance he had planned after Tailor died was all forgotten.

Even now, his hands still throb because of the wounds caused by the shards of porcelain from the china he broke with his bare hands, as he was drinking tea when this all happened. He even had the urge to slam his computer to a nearby wall, the idea was only stopped upon realizing that his hands were already bleeding from crushing the china. That had really been a first for him.

Now, due to the fact that he can't type with the condition of his hands, he was forced to just sit there, thinking about the case and occasionally calming himself down whenever he remembered what happened.

'_Big actions create big mistakes._' He said to himself. '_I'll get you for sure, Kira. It was foolish of you to challenge me.'_ He kept saying.

Think. Calm down. He had a lot of mistakes for sure. Lind L. Tailor wouldn't have announced his support for Kira, much more kill himself in front of the public. Were you controlling him then, Kira? So there's a possibility for Kira to control his victims before they die, huh. Mistake number 1, Kira. And could it be that he can kill people with causes other than heart attacks? Mistake number 2.

No one can possibly kill more than 3,000 people all at once. That's too much. You can also control the time of death too? Mistake number 3. And yes, your greatest mistake of all, Kira. You must be really skilled at hacking to infiltrate the Japanese police system. Either that or you have connections to the police. I'll update your profile then, Kira. Soon, I will know your personality, your line of thinking, even your face. I'll know everything about you. Mistake number 4, Kira.

'_Four mistakes. Four grave, mistakes that I will make you sorry for, Kira.' _, He kept thinking, pondering and calculating all day, for 2 days now, and he knew what to do. He had already sent the FBI to investigate every police officer and their relations, not missing anyone of them. More importantly, he's already preparing on moving himself and making Japan his headquarters.

He was that serious. Kira will pay. Justice will prevail.

* * *

Yagami Meguru, although in most aspects of life could be considered abnormal, was, as far as the Japanese Government was concerned, perfectly normal, or at least, normal enough to be required to undergo public education.

That is, in an ideal world created by law, every youth has a right to receive free education, and in return they are expected to uphold the country's honor by not taking it for granted, and achieving the best they can be, so that the country will benefit from them when the time comes. Incidentally, every child (or citizen, for that matter) has as much potential as the other, thus, the law treats them equally.

In such a way that, even though he was already too smart for school (school for him is associated with a chance to sleep and occasionally taking tests which he could easily finish, while avoiding bullies) to the point that it was already impractical, certain provisions in the law oblige him to attend formal school, and everything that has to do with it, in order to get by his society.

Which is why Meguru, who was barely thirteen at that time, and looked even younger than his age, was not exempted from the fact that he had to experience career day.

While most students don't think of it as a big deal, treating it only as a day where they were free from classes, and for a few hours, discussing the obvious with their professor, according to their schedule, there are some students who have a different view about it. they found the whole arrangement to be dreadful, nerve-wrecking even, wherein their self esteem will be attacked, their choices be questioned, simply because they have far from typical career choices. Meguru, of course, was one of those students.

Checking his schedule for the umpteenth time this day, he sighed heavily as he hesitantly creaked the door open, and quickly scooted to the far end of the room.

"Sit down."

A loud, commanding voice reverberated through the closed room. The voice was coming from a large, serious looking man, whose face was worn in a constant frown, head lined with silver hair from all the years of teaching, and eyebrows never seeming to leave that same position. It was just Meguru's luck to be assigned to Tsuzumiya-sensei.

Although, he couldn't help but feel that somehow, this arrangement was not purely coincidental. Tsuzumiya-sensei had his eyes on Meguru the moment he stepped on this school. For him to specifically change the boy's appointed teacher in his favor was not far from possible. Even now, he was staring intently at him, eyes, never leaving Meguru as if the boy would do something heinous any moment now.

Tsuzumiya-sensei grunted again, pointing at the chair nearest him, and Meguru gave a quick nod before nervously sitting on it, and braced himself for what is about to happen.

"Yagami Raito"

Meguru almost jumped at that loudly called out name, and it took him moments to realize that it was him he was referring to. Attempting to look braver, but failing halfway, he gulped and started talking.

"Sir, I am Yagami Meguru"

A short, harsh laugh echoed in the room.

"You can keep using that fake name, boy, but I've already read through your files, right to the very beginning. Your previous school, as well as your…Umm…'guardians' call you Raito."

Meguru bit his lip to avoid speaking any further, and decided to just let it go, even though that comment about his father and grandmother insulted him, and was next to unforgivable.

"Honestly, I don't even understand the necessity of using a pseudonym. You are not someone famous, you know." Tsuzumiya-sensei looked at the boy's face, and his smile contorted maliciously. "For all I know, it could be one of your schemes to make unknowing persons trust you. I know for a fact that using that name alone can be enough reason for you to be sent to prison."

He was trying to breathe deeply now, to calm himself down. It was not worth it to be angry at this point.

"You should understand that no matter how hard you try masking your evil name, it still wouldn't suffice. You would undoubtedly be evil too. It's all in the blood."

If Meguru was a lesser man, he would have jumped up and hurt the man by now, all consequences aside. Frankly, he could have congratulated himself for being able to hold his emotions at bay. Instead, he clenched his fists to his knees, gripping it so tightly that his body became numb.

Tsuzumiya-sensei laughed again, and it took him a few minutes of unbearable silence to speak again, this time on topic.

"You already know why you're here right? Let's get to the point". The teacher returned to his serious, formal face and looked through his papers some more. "What are your target schools?"

Feeling relieved that at least he wouldn't have to resort in doing something he would be sorry for later, he slightly coughed and smiled nervously.

"Well", he started in a barely audible voice. "I was thinking Tachihikari…or Ogabarashi High."

Tsuzumiya-sensei furrowed his eyebrows, and stared at Meguru for what seemed like eternity, occasionally reading through his school records.

"These schools are known for providing the best education in science subjects, especially physics." He finally said. "You're planning to be a scientist or something?"

Meguru laughed weakly.

"Y-yes…if I can…"

He continued assessing Meguru, the boy feeling as though he was X-rayed, until he finally gave his verdict.

"Give it up."

The boy looked as if his dreams suddenly got crushed.

"B-but Sensei, I've acquired a high-point average in all my subjects, especially in science-related ones…I..."

"Prestigious High Schools such as Tachihikari and Ogubarashi only offer their doors to the best, and the most promising" He interrupted. "They require not only high-point averages but also, a letter of recommendation from their previous school."

Meguru gaped at him, all hope gone.

"I am the only person here in who can give a letter of recommendation, and in your case, I will not give you one."

"W-why…"

"Bad seeds do not deserve to set foot on holy grounds. I will not allow you to soil the reputation of those schools, or any school for that matter."

Meguru looked at him with pleading eyes, as if asking to give him a chance.

"My mind will not change." Tsuzumiya said resolutely, but clearly in a voice that mocked the boy. "You can go"

Clenching his fists, Meguru took every ounce of himself to control his emotions. He just had to leave and everything will be over.

Bowing deeply and saying his final respects, he turned to leave, but the man stopped him one last time.

"You should remember, boy. I've got my eyes on you."

When at last, Tsuzumiya-sensei was satisfied, he let Meguru go with an evil smirk on his face, and Meguru left, almost too willingly.

He punched a wall right after, and his broken hand was enough to tell how angry he had become.

* * *

Meguru's memories as a student had always been unpleasant, or more accurately, horrible. Being a Yagami, he was blessed with exceptional talents that were supposed to make school easy for him, and rising to the top was only natural for him. With the talents and good looks he inherited from his grandfather, it was unquestionable that he would be very popular in school.

That assumption had been true, at least for the first few months of his schooling. He learned to read and write before he can even walk properly, and when he started school he already knew what a typical high school student learned in class, only better. He was fond of reading, and had been a very inquisitive child from the start, that some adults wondered how high his IQ was, and was surprised to discover that it was higher than the standards set for a genius.

Much more, he had a charismatic personality that made most people want to befriend him, or just be close to him. His teachers were so fond of him, and he stood out of all his classmates because of his amiable character and unmatchable knowledge.

But all of that came to and end in a blink of an eye, when one of his classmates, whose dad happened to be in the higher ups of society and knew certain information most people don't, "let slip" that Kira was his grandfather, therefore the blood of Kira was flowing in him.

Kira had been nothing but history in those times. Nevertheless, his identity was still kept secret, to protect his family members who were not involved in the case. Only few people, along with those who were directly associated with the Kira case know the truth. No one was supposed to tell the public anything.

All of those had been violated by one envious father, who had been the son of one of the brave policemen who fought Kira in his time. All because his son was outshined by Meguru.

They think that Kira's family would also have the tendency to act like Kira, since it's in their blood. Especially his grandson, and the fact that his real name had been Yagami Raito did not help at all.

It was a ridiculous notion, since every person is different in his own way, and blood never really determined one's character, but many people fail to understand that.

People were really that shallow. They had to pre-judge people by their family, friends or any crude way, never bothering to care what is really inside. For them, an evil person will produce evil descendants and there is no need for them to discover otherwise.

These times, no one is afraid of Kira anymore. Rather, they were angry at him, and they longed to take it out on his relatives, who had done nothing wrong. A lot of people started searching for the real identity of Kira, manhunts directed at finding any of his relatives were rampant, and any news related to it were sensationally treated.

Meguru had taken all of that full blow, and thanks to his name, dealt with it tenfold, harder than the rest of them. He had to live with it throughout his childhood.

There were times when he didn't want to go to school at all, or outside for that matter. All he ever wanted was to be left alone. But that never happened, all because they knew he was Kira's grandson. All because an envious father let the whole world know.

"Are you okay, Meguru-kun?"

Meguru snapped out of his thoughts and smiled.

"Of course, Yukiko-chan. I was just thinking of something."

"Wah, so even Meguru-kun daydreams! That's good to know", Yukiko smiled at him. "You're going to teach me how to play chess, right?"

Meguru gave that disarming smile at her, and she blushed outright.

"I'll be glad to", he said charmingly, making at least five women near them turn red too. One of them approached him.

"Hey, Shindou-kun. Yagami-sama is looking all over for you."

"Is that so?" Meguru asked, hinting a look of disappointment. "Yukiko-chan, I'm sorry but I have to go now. Maybe some other time?"

"Sure, Meguru-kun."

With that, Meguru hurried out of the room, not noticing the swooning girls arounf him.

Meguru had to admit, he was enjoying this. He had never thought that school life can be something he would look forward to, but ever since he stayed here in this time, everything seems to take him by surprise—in a nice way for a change.

It was something new for him, a boy who was used to seventeen years of being the target of bullying, avoided by everyone, attracting bad luck wherever he goes, would find living like this to be heaven. Sometimes, he even thought that he might be dead, and this was the afterlife, a reward for having to endure all of that pain from the past.

Whenever he mentions this to Raito, the teen would just frown at him, and tell him to grow up. He couldn't help it, to say the least. It was all he ever wanted in life—a happy home, a nice learning environment, friends, admiration, a worry free life, something he never had back then. And it sometimes saddened him to know that he could not share this happiness to the ones he loved. Were they still watching him? Were they happy for him, too?

It was Raito who always pulls him back to earth. He'd always tell him to get over this, and adapt like a normal boy, saying that it's not much of big deal. But he knew, deep down, that Raito meant well. It was as if he was looking out for him. He might have been pissed with him when he perfected that one physics test but he knew, at the end of the day, he was okay with it. he found the said teen waiting for him in the hall.

"I hope you weren't just idling away back there. I've been waiting here hours ago", Raito scolded, ignoring the exagerration he'd just given. That boy needed to be given guilt once in a while.

"Sorry."

Meguru bowed at him, looking very ashamed, and Raito smiled, knowing that his guilt trip was very effective.

"It's okay. But next time, I won't go easy on you."

Raito couldn't help but like the boy.

At first, Raito was pissed off at the boy for perfecting that infamous Physics aptitude test from hell that scared even tough-looking students. It was after all known to be the sole cause of failure in majority of the students, that achieving a high score on it, let alone perfecting it, was next to impossible. For Raito's part, he only got three mistakes on it, which were mostly from carelessness.

However, when word got out that Meguru actually got the perfect score, he became an instant celebrity. From being known only as the cousin of Raito, he had been now widely known as the Physics genius. But that was not all of it, since a few days after the incident, scholarship offers were given to him by top companies, with a condition of working for them in the future. Soon, he gained a lot of friends and admirers, and Raito somehow got annoyed with that.

But that was all in the past, as Raito himself can say. Because apart from physics, there was nothing else he was good in, at least in Raito's opinion, and Raito was still the best in class. Aside from that, Raito couldn't help but give up his anger whenever he sees Meguru's helpless face like that. He seems to depend on Raito for everything he does, and he was genuinely touched. Not to mention how much of a crybaby he was.

In the depths of his heart, he couldn't help but feel proud, for having a future grandson (he was still young, for God's sake) as smart as him. It was definitely the genes.

"_Without you, I'm nothing!"_

Yeah, that was a really nice ego booster, in Raito's opinion, and he kept hearing those words said by Meguru in random times.

"I heard you accepted N Company's offer. So you'll get into Tokyo University without having to take the exam, right?" Raito casually asked.

"Yeah, since they kept annoying me. I agreed just so they would shut up", Meguru said wistfully. "But on the other hand, that means you'll be the one to top the exam, and be the freshman representative."

"That's right, I'm planning to do just that", Raito confidently answered.

Their talks would go like any normal conversation would, only that Raito enjoyed it more. He secretly was thankful to finally have someone of his level to talk to, and it somehow made him happy.

The boy was reliable too, with his knowledge of what will happen, he had preparedhis mind on what to do on things yet to come. They were actually more prepared than that, seeing that Meguru had a prowess for creating gadgets with ease, something you could easily say as the work of a genius.

He could not help but be impressed at the extent of genius that boy had, when the FBI agent Raye Penber started tailing them.

"This is the smallest model I've ever made." The boy explained as he gave a button-like gadget to Raito, who inspected it carefully. It was very small, only about one-third in size compared to an ordinary button, which could be attached to the real buttons on their shirt. It was a well-made camouflage that it could pass as a part of the design.

"Wit this device, any person outside the five meter radius will hear without nothing from the person wearing it. They will only hear people around us, and even our lip movements get randomly altered, so there's no chance to even read our lips." He eyed the invention lovingly. "It's one of my earliest inventions. It has saved me from a lot of trouble, fooling hundreds of anti-Kira groups that keep spying on me. I developed it even further as time passed."

These features alone made Raito very impressed. But that was not all of it, as Meguru headed to Raito's PC and loaded it easily.

"I upgraded your computer too, by the way. I designed it like my PC back at home, which has the best technology in the world back there. Considering that it's only year 2000 or so now, then I can say that this has the best technology in the universe."

He clicked at an icon and typed rapidly, until a window popped up.

"I've made further specifications on that invention, and on this PC. Now we can reverse the whole follower-followed scenario. It's our turn to spy on our little spy."

A screen opened and Raito saw a man hiding very cleverly at one of the nearby posts on the street, no doubt spying on the Yagami residence.

"I've mapped his location just now and I programmed the PC to lock on him. Whenever he gets in within the one hundred-meter radius from us. That way we can see, hear and even feel whatever he's doing."

Wow. Talk about high tech. If there was ever a competition to find out who the best inventor in the world was, he was pretty much certain that Meguru would win hands down. He became a great inventor by necessity, from a future indirectly caused by his mistakes. Good things can happen even in the worst situations, he found out.

On the screen showed the follower's full body profile, complete with heart rate and other vital information. He can even hear the spy's surroundings, which sounded like wind. So he's alone, not making a sound. Raito couldn't help but look amazed at the very impressive technology in front of him.

Needless to say, the fact that the FBI was tailing him was the least of his worries. He was already under their control, and there's no need to worry about him anymore. He could even pass as their personal bodyguard.

He doesn't even write in the death note anymore. Mainly because of fear, since they have yet to figure out what happened. Truth be told, he didn't want to write on it thinking that something worse might happen if he did. But apart from that, he just didn't felt the need for it anymore. In just that one afternoon, ninety nine percent of the criminals dropped dead all at once, making it hard for him to find more. Besides, most people found the whole event traumatic, that no one dared to commit crime anymore, making the crime rate decrease to virtually zero percent. More importantly, he didn't want to make it worse, if he can help it. He didn't want to die, he wanted to provide a better future, for everyone's sake.

Preventing his death, and avoiding suspicion was the number one priority for now, and he finds the situation more dangerous than ever, fearing the unknown. Which is why, the look for theories that can probably explain whatever happened that day, and, if possible, create ways to avoid suspicion. They discuss their theories everyday, every chance they get.

"I don't think it triggered because you touched it, Meguru. It was not the first thing you touched in my room, after all. There has to be something that happened."

"That's true…then, what do you think caused that?"

"You tried to stop me from what I was about to do, that is, to kill Lind L. Tailor. If you think of it that way, even when you warned me in advance, when I heard what he said, I snapped."

"Then, Lind Tailor was fated to die that day?"

"I think so. I think it is something that cannot be changed, that it was one of the things that were meant to happen, no matter what."

"That could be true…"

"And when you tried to stop me, the note reacted so that that event would take place, however, something worse happened as a consequence."

"That would make it scary to act now. If what you're saying is true, then there might be other things that we cannot change."

"Do you know the most important events that happened to Kira before?" Raito inquired, a little curious.

"Hmm…"

He remembered, once again, the stories Rage, who used to be Kira, kept telling him.

"Since an FBI agent is already tailing us, there is a great possibility that we might be suspected by L too. I'm just not sure how he would. A second or third Kira might appear and…"

He stopped, realizing something.

"What's wrong?" Raito asked, noticing the sudden mood change of the boy.

"Nothing…I just…" he mumbled. "It's a good theory, Raito."

Raito raised an eyebrow, curious at the sudden attitude, but let it go. Meguru looked down all of a sudden, and refused to talk anymore. They walked home in an uncomfortable silence, and Raito could not help but feel that there was something the boy had figured out from his theories, something bad enough to depress him. Raito was having a horrible feeling about this.

With great dedication, Raito decided to give the boy some time alone, but swore to himself that he will find out what was going on.

* * *

I'm desperate for reviews at this point! Don't fail me, ok?


	6. Chapter 6

**Light Generation**

**Rating: **T

**Gen. Warnings:** OOCness, angst-filled chapters, spoilers galore

**Disclaimer:** I don't really own anything, Death Note included.

**Very brief summary:** Raito's future grandson, Meguru appears in the future just minutes before he attempts to kill Lind L. Tailor. He tries to stop Raito, and almost succeeded, when the Death Note suddenly acts weird and kills the fake L, along with 3,000 or so prisoners with him. They currently were looking for theories on how to get Raito off the hook, when Meguru realized something and gets depressed…

A/n: I make it a habit to update during my birthday, so here I am. I actually did work hard to make a decent chapter this time, I hope you all like it, enough to review it after (pretty please?) Anyway, read on…

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"_What will you do when you get there?"_

That question always managed to get him back to reality. It was more effective than explicitly countering his reasons.

The answer should have been simple enough. In fact, most people wouldn't dwell on it too much, and instead focus themselves on the next question, "How will you get there?"

But for him, the earlier question was far more complicated, much harder than the latter one. Which is why he avoided the question altogether, instead, like others, focused on the How's. He can go back to that later. His Obaa-chan knew this, which is why she asked that question to him, a long time ago, when he told her his plans.

He remembered his father's answer on that question, upon overhearing the conversation.

"If it was me, I'd write down every single name Kira had written in the Death Note all at once, and a few more if I feel like it. Now that would be the perfect declaration of war against L", his father said this as he smiled brightly at his son. "That would make the anti-Kira forces cower in fear, don't you think so, son?" He grinned even wider, expecting his son to agree with him.

He remembered that he just stood there, gaping at his father. His father's ideas were always that dark, in a twisted sort of way. But then, he had thought, putting the darkness aside, it would have been considered cool, ingenious even. His father's ideas were always meant to make a statement.

"And what would you do after that?", his Obaa-chan would counter his laughing dad. "Do you think you can get away that easily?"

Think about the consequences before doing anything. That is what she kept telling them, both father and son.

"If it would help Kira one step closer in making his ideal world, then I'll gladly risk my life for it", came his father's proud, brave answer. His father had always been a Kira supporter, even when Kira already met his downfall, and he expected his son to be the same.

He remembered smiling back at his father, somewhat thankful for supporting him, for not letting him be discouraged. That had been one of the greatest memories he had with his father. His father was still sane back then. At least, not enough for him to be admitted to a mental institution. And yes, he loved his father, despite all of his shortcomings.

Which is why, he wondered. After everything had already took effect, if somehow, his father had something to do with it. He must admit, that even though he was creeped out at the sudden mysterious change in the death note, he felt a little nostalgic, remembering his father, remembering that day. Deep in his heart, he longed, or more like he wanted to believe that this was the work of his father. That, even though he had been long gone, he was still looking out for his son, and if it was his father, he knew nothing bad will happen.

He wanted to believe that, but then a part of him was also telling him that it cannot be true. Whatever caused that reaction did not have anything to do with his father. This in itself is logical enough, and he had a feeling that he had already figured it out. But then, if all of that was true, would that mean that there is no use for him to try and change fate? Was his quest just fruitless, after all, that he was just getting his Ojii-san's hopes up?

Think of the consequences before you act. He felt like his Obaa-chan was scolding him, upon remembering those words. His grandmother would always say that to him every time he shared his somewhat wild ideas, every time he told his grandmother that he wanted to do something irrational. She was right most of the time.

Back then, when he told her his most delusional idea as of date, she just smiled at him and asked that thought-provoking question at him. Not necessarily to discourage him, but to think about it a lot more. She had always wanted him to keep out of trouble. His ideas never failed to get her so worried.

He remembered, later that time, when the laughter died down, he smiled to his grandmother reassuringly, and tried to answer the question.

"If that's the case, when I go there, I'm going to change the world into a place where Obaa-chan would always smile."

His grandmother hugged him lovingly after that, and he felt proud of himself. Now he just realized how naïve that answer had been.

His Obaa-chan had been right, once again. He realized now, as he lay on the floor, thinking. For the first time since he got back to this time, he felt a horrible mix of regret, loneliness and despair.

Now that he had thought about it, he should have stopped nurturing that dream that very night, when his grandmother asked him that question. How foolish he was!

From that night on, he had spent his entire time in achieving that foolish dream of his, only doing occasional minor projects to keep his family from starving. Worst of all, he kept it from his grandmother, who had trusted him all those times. And now that he had successfully traveled through time, he had felt an all time low on him. He was stuck, with nothing else to do but face the consequences like a man. This was his fate.

Truth be told, he didn't even knew how he got there in the first place. A lot of things that happened to him remain unexplained. If this had happened a year ago, he would have been so happy to not bother looking for explanations at all, just being happy to actually be there. But now, things were different. A lot of things happened this year, horrible things. And the only thing he wanted to do was to escape. He didn't want to go back to the past anymore.

Ironically, just when he'd lost all interest in going through the whole idea, what he'd been wishing for the past five years had finally came true. Fate had been so cruel to him. Is this punishment for not listening to his Obaa-chan?

Unconsciously, he gazed blankly at his left wrist, observing every detail of it. He knew one thing, for sure. He had nowhere else to go. He was stuck.

* * *

When Raito found him lying half-consciously on the floor, he knew he had to do something. Things like that shouldn't last for a very long time, and he knew that without his intervention, this drama will keep on going. Besides, he had already given the boy enough time for himself, and more. He even let go of the fact that Meguru ditched school today, claiming that he was not feeling well.

This had gone long enough, and Raito decided upon himself to end it, no matter how hard it takes.

"Meguru", he started.

The boy didn't even move a muscle to acknowledge his presence, but this will not discourage Raito.

"Meguru, you have to snap out of this." Raito attempted once more. "Idling away on regret will not solve anything. You have to at least do something productive."

Meguru shrugged, but was still silent. This slightly annoyed Raito.

"You can't just wish for anything good to happen and not do anything for it. Wallowing in self-guilt is pathetic, and it's sick when you don't even fight against it."

That got him quite a reaction, that even Raito was surprised. The boy suddenly turned to face him, with wide, curious eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he heard. Regardless, Raito felt glad that he still hadn't lost his persuasive skills.

"How about we play a game of chess?" Raito followed through, hoping that it would work too. That unfortunately did not work, and it took him more than patience to stop himself from just beating the boy up.

Meguru looked a little down at hearing the chess offer.

"I don't want to." He said, with no room for arguments. Raito grit his teeth, in an effort to keep his patience.

"Why not?" he demanded.

The boy assessed him, as if judging if he could trust Raito, and frankly, Raito felt insulted. Thankfully, Meguru decided to trust him with what he thought was a secret close to his heart, and Raito decided to let it go.

"I remember my father when I play chess", he answered, a bit aloof.

"Excuse me?" Raito clarified, because really, he can't understand. If doing something reminds you of someone you love, then wouldn't it make you happy if you do it all the time?

"The only person I've ever played chess before was my father. Everyday I would play with him, and everyday I would lose. I remember thinking of strategies to beat him even in my sleep", he said wistfully. "I'd play with him even when he was in the institution, and the results still didn't change. I've never won in a match with him. Ever."

He looked at Raito with sad eyes.

"That is why, every time I play chess I remember him, and sometimes wish that it was him I was playing against. And right now, I don't want to remember him."

Raito could see tears threatening to fall on the boy's eyes, and for a moment, he felt the urge to comfort him. Luckily, he snapped back to his senses and stopped what he was about to do just in time. Really, this boy is so sensitive. He instead kept his apathetic image, as if seeing the boy like that did not affect him at all.

"I feel horrible, and I feel that this is all my fault. I don't deserve to remember him."

Seeing the signs, Raito figured that he had to act at once, or else he would have a hard time stopping it.

"Okay, look. Forget about playing chess." Raito said quickly, in an attempt to divert the boy's attention. "How about I teach you to play tennis instead? You've been wanting to try that out, right?"

The boy stopped crying, a look of anticipation instantly filling his eyes.

"Really?", he asked hesitantly. "I though you didn't…"

"Well, I feel like playing tennis today, and I couldn't stand you not knowing how." Raito quipped. The plan was a success.

"You'll go easy on me, right?" the boy asked.

Raito smiled. The boy was predictable sometimes.

"Of course."

* * *

"Let me get this straight. As Kira, you had access to three notebooks?"

Meguru asked in a low voice, as he walked on a busy sidewalk. It's already late in the afternoon, and as much as he wanted to hear the shinigami's explanation, he had a lot of chores left to do.

In order to entertain both notions, they had agreed to multitask; and so, while heading on to his job at a local restaurant. Rage explained how he ended up here, and pretty much everything. Meguru had been quietly listening until his shift was finished, walking on the street to his next destination. Rage just felt relieved at being assured that someone was actually listening to him. He was having the impression that no one can see him again.

"That's precisely what I said. Back when I was still human, I owned three notebooks." The shinigami nodded absently. "So you finally decided to talk to me, huh? I was starting to think that I'm talking to no one."

"I already told you that I can't talk during work. People might hear."

"So how does talking to me in a highly populated street any different? People can still hear you talking to yourself, you know?"

"Most people don't care. Can't you notice how they're ignoring me? They'll just dismiss me as a weird person."

"Aren't you already weird?" Rage snickered. Meguru just ignored the insult.

"Then, you were followed by three shinigami?" Rage rolled his eyes.

"Of course not…although, I've met three different shinigami in my lifetime, but I've got only one annoying shinigami watching my back."

"And that's Ryuuk"

"Right"

"How did you manage to get three death notes then?"

"So you really weren't listening…"

They were silent for a while, until Rage finally spoke as they turned on a corner.

"Anyway, aside from the notebook I got from my girlfriend, I managed to own another one when I caused that shinigami to die. So I have Ryuuk's notebook he stole from Sidoh, Rem's, and my girlfriend's notebook, previously owned by Gelus."

"You killed a shinigami?" Meguru's eyes perked with curiosity. "How?"

Rage scoffed.

"I won't tell you. You might use it to your advantage and kill me. But in a sense, that's how Rem died."

Meguru pouted.

"I won't kill you, you know. What made me think I'd do that?"

"You'll never know"

The boy sighed.

"Well, what happened to the three death notes?"

The shinigami paused for a while, remembering the bitter past was not something he enjoyed too much.

"I returned one to the shinigami Sidoh, in order to not cause trouble anymore. And then, when I died, and they discovered I was Kira, the two notebooks were immediately ordered to be burned. As far as the police were concerned, there are no more death notes existing in this world."

Meguru nodded in understanding.

"Everything would have turned out fine as it was, the problem is, I became a shinigami some time after I died. That's how the problem started, so to speak."

"So humans and become shinigami when they die?" the boy asked innocently.

"Not all humans. Certain conditions must be present for that to happen."

"Like what?"

"One important condition is that that human must have used a death note at least once in their entire life, because death not users can neither go to heaven nor hell."

Their pace quickened slightly now, perhaps because Meguru was getting excited at the facts.

"Another one is that your own name must be written in a death note. It does not matter whether or not it became the cause of your death, as long as the writer actually wrote down your real name, while imagining your face."

Rage looked at the boy, whose face was now full of interest, and, although he hesitated for a while, decided to continue.

"And the most important condition to be met is, that on the moment where the human is about to die, there must be a strong, intense feeling of that person to not die, up to his last breath."

Meguru stopped walking, shocked at what he heard. He looked at the shinigami with sympathetic eyes.

"So you were afraid of death…"

Rage nodded. The boy continued.

"It must be quite ironic, being Kira, killing hundreds of people, but when your death came, you were so afraid of it."

Rage pouted, feeling a little insulted, but decided to let it pass.

"I was planning to become god of the new world. I didn't expect that I would die so soon…"

"I'm sorry…" Meguru said as he realized his insult.

"Ah, but that's all in the past." Rage dismissed it easily. "When I became a shinigami, I finally realized that all my plans where foolish anyway, as I've learned certain secrets from the shinigami world. The world I planned for was something theoretically impossible. "

"I guess if it took you all that time to figure it out then…"

Rage ignored the insult, but instead got to the point.

"But that's not the point. The problem was with Ryuuk and his boredom"

"Ryuuk and his boredom?" Meguru looked suspicious.

"You must understand two things first. In the shinigami world, there was nothing much to do, and the biggest problem for most is boredom."

"It would tend to be the problem if they keep prolonging their lifespans like that"

"Anyway, as you can see, even I could not last the boredom there. I learned every secret there is in the shinigami world out of pure boredom, and still I had my limits."

"And then, the obvious thing to do would be to relieve your boredom by playing with humans' lives?"

Rage made an insulted face, but he continued talking.

"Well, most shinigami would be lazy to do that. Most of the times they just gamble their lives away, not even bothering to write in the Death note. I also took that route at first, but once you understand that you'd be staying there longer than any other shinigami, it makes you think of other ways to spend your time with, else shorten it. I learned that the best way to end your life can only be found in the human world, so I took the chance." Rage explained.

"But when I got here, there were more serious things I discovered, and it all involved Ryuuk."

"Ryuuk…?"

"That apple-loving shinigami did not stop coming to the human world after my death. It seemed that he enjoyed it more than spending time in our world, and so he still continued his game of giving death notes to humans." Rage said in disgust. "But that shinigami would not risk giving his own death note to a human. He stole someone else's. Sidoh's. I came here in the human world because I promised Sidoh that I would look for it."

Meguru stared at him, trying to keep up with what he was saying.

"You must understand that Ryuuk is the most sadistic shinigami I know. In fact he was one of a kind. It seems that he highly enjoyed the times when I was Kira, and he was hoping for more of that. That Ryuuk, even though he doesn't realize it, was already addicted in this world, and in playing with humans."

"That's horrible…"

Rage looked very serious now, and for a moment Meguru was convinced that this shinigami really used to be Kira.

"More importantly, he seemed attached to my family like a parasite."

"What do you mean by that?!" Meguru said urgently, not believing what he heard. "Does that mean…"

Rage nodded.

"Don't you ever wonder why even after my death, the Yagami's family still had the worst luck? It was supposed to stop upon my death, the police force made sure to do that. Even though they despise me, their respect for my father would be enough to keep all of that a secret and retain the family honor, for his sake."

"How can you be so confident about that?"

"I know them enough to conclude that. More than half of them got into the police force because of my father, and if my profiling skills are still sharp, even with them discovering me as Kira, their respect for my father will not waver." He explained confidently. "But that did not seem to be the case. And that was because after all these years, Ryuuk decided to stay with the family of the human he took so much interest on. Shinigami causes the worst luck for any human he follows, and it also applies to his family."

They continued walking, not minding the people near them.

"Then, when you dropped that notebook, you were hoping that it would be me to pick it up?"

"Any member of the Yagami family may suffice", he answered. "But it seems that you were my best bet. I think that the other two living members are confined to hospitals at the moment."

"And you think that one of them may be possessing Sidoh's notebook?"

"That is my conclusion. They may not know it, but one of them appears to be Ryuuk's new victim."

The boy became silent again, processing things as he walked automatically in the same direction. Rage then realized that by continuing on this path, they would eventually reach the hospital.

"Tell me," the boy said with a face full of determination. "What should I do to stop this?"

* * *

"All right, good job, Meguru", Raito called, feeling a little proud about his first student.

Meguru had once again exceeded his expectations. Being a beginner, Raito thought that he would basically suck, missing shots and making crappy serves, but Meguru surprised him by making decent serves, and his instinct for tennis was beyond compare. He was still light years away from Raito, but still, perhaps in one or two years, he would be a fantastic player. Raito was even tempted to play tennis again.

In fact, Meguru was so promising that he found himself blurting all his special techniques to him. But most of all, he forgot about the entire existence of the tailing FBI agent. That in itself should be an enough indication on how cool Meguru was.

Meguru himself was in high spirits. He instantly agreed on Raito's invitation to go to a coffee shop. He was feeling thirsty anyway, an he couldn't help but feel Raito's good mood too.

They ended up chatting pleasantly in the coffee shop, and Raito thought that it was a good change of pace, seeing that the only thing they ever talk about were theories on the mysterious death note, and strategies on how to avoid L. Talking about different things once in a while was a nice way to have a break, and just take it easy.

Raito discovered interesting things about Meguru, like how Meguru was not only good in chess, but also in shogi and go. He learned that Meguru really loved gadgets, and inventing stuff, and that his first invention was made when he was eight.

But most of all, he learned more about his family: about Sayu, and his mother Sachiko, about his future son. He was happy to know that, even though life was really tough on them, they still manage to get by, and they still find happiness in a lot of ways.

He was glad to know that Sayu was okay, and that his mom made it through her depression. But most of all, he liked all those stories about his son, so much that he had a silent wish to meet him. Meguru narrated it in such a way that he was left wanting more.

Meguru also talked about Rage, which intrigued Raito in a way. It was like he had the same personality as that fantastic (in Meguru's opinion) shinigami, that he was starting to feel curious about the death god's identity.

"Sometimes, you remind me of him", Meguru said. "Whenever I feel down, he would always tell me to shake it off. I always depend on him, you know? Do you know what he always say to me whenever I feel helpless?"

"What?" Raito curiously asked.

"He said, 'You can't always depend on me for every little problem you have'", Meguru laughed. "It's rude, but somehow, whenever he tells me that, I tend to get inspired enough to face my problem. I'm really thankful for him."

"He must be a really useful shinigami. I'm envious. I'm stuck with one annoying, useless shinigami Ryuuk"

"Come to think of it, I still haven't seen Ryuuk", Meguru said. "Rage sometimes talks about him. He told me he is a horrible-looking shinigami."

What an understatement. But the boy is right. Ever since that day, he hadn't seen the shinigami anywhere. He shrugged it off.

"He's probably chasing apples", Raito said offhandedly. "Oh well, good riddance."

"Ryuuk?" Meguru's attention rose. "What do you mean…"

From his excitement, he did not notice the waitress about to give them their coffee, and it must have shocked the girl somehow, when he suddenly moved.

_Clang!_

"I'm sorry sir", the waitress nervously spoke. It seemed as if she was lost staring at the two gentlemen for a while that he looked startled when one of them looked at her, spilling the hot black coffee on Meguru.

"I'm really sorry. I'll get it off." She clumsily took on a cloth, ready to wipe off the mess she made.

"No it's okay, I'll do it." Meguru tried to reassure her, pulling off his handkerchief from his pocket so as to clean himself. But then he realized…

"Um…Raito-kun, can we go home now?"

Raito looked surprised at the sudden desire of the boy to go home. Was it so bad as to leave home immediately? Or did the boy just hated soiling his clothes?

"I have something I want to tell you, Raito-kun"

Meguru looked irritated at how Raito was ignoring his request, just looking at him curiously.

"Why not tell it here?"

Meguru looked further annoyed. Was Raito getting back at him? As soon as the waitress left, apologizing profusely he spoke again, not bothering to be discreet anymore.

"Because"

He stressed out all his irritation in that one word. Raito found it interesting.

"I think I know what happened to Ryuuk."

* * *

"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong yet?"

Raito asked the moment they got home. The walk to their house was uneventful, since no one bothered to look around their surroundings anymore. As soon as Meguru locked the door, Raito started asking him questions.

"Honestly, why can't we just talk there? No one will ever hear what we're talking about, anyway. Isn't that what your gadget was for?"

"I know", Meguru admitted. "I just freaked out."

Raito sighed.

"But that was because something that girl did caught my attention."

"What, when she soiled your pants? Are you that vain?"

"No", he said, pouting, looking at Raito indignantly. "I wouldn't be that surprised if that was what actually happened. The fact is, she didn't"

"Huh?!" Raito did not quite understand this. What was the boy trying to say?

"Here"

Meguru gave his handkerchief to Raito, who examined it closely. It was spotlessly clean.

"I used that to clean the mess but I realized I couldn't. Look. Even my pants are clean." He showed his pants, which did not reveal any traces of the dark coffee at all.

"That caught your attention?"

Raito couldn't believe it. "Maybe she just missed and it fell to the floor instead."

"It couldn't be. I saw it happen. I saw the coffee spill directly at me."

The conversation sounded stupid. If any one would overhear this, Raito thought, he couldn't show his face anymore from the embarrassment. What is so important with this anyway?

"You should be happy that it didn't cause any mess."

"That's not what I'm trying to say."

Meguru was getting impatient, and so did Raito.

"How about this. Yesterday, when you left me on my own and I was going home alone, I saw a ball flying directly at my face."

"I don't care about your day to day experience, okay?" Seriously, where is he getting at?

"I braced myself and covered my head but nothing happened. I didn't get hit. The next thing I saw was that the ball was right next to me."

Raito looked at him, irritated. "Get to the point"

"You told me about that Shinigami Ryuuk, right?"

"Yeah, I did"

"I researched all about shinigami back when I was still in the future. I read all the files, and seeing that I actually met one, I pretty much know all the rules that matter", he continued, not minding Raito's irritated face. "And I know that once a person touches the death note, they will see the shnigami guarding it. But I never got to see it at all."

Raito's impatience wavered. Now that he mentioned it, the last time he saw the annoying shinigami was when his drawer exploded. He didn't see hide nor hair of the shinigami after that, not even his creepy laugh.

"Do you know anything more?"

"I also know that a shinigami is supposed to follow the person possessing the death note around, and that a shinigami may or may not disclose the rules to the owner of the death note…." Meguru continued enumerating all he knew. "And also, once a shinigami dies, he turns to sand."

That caught Raito's interest.

"I know it may sound stupid, but if you listen to the end, I would appreciate it. I think I know what happened to Ryuuk."

"I'm listening." Raito said, eyes filled with interest.

"Do you remember the time when I first saw you?" Meguru asked. "I was covered in dust, right? I thought that it was all normal. But then when I went and took a bath, I found my whole body covered in sand. Even my clothes were filled with sand."

"So, you were saying…" Raito's mind worked double time.

"That day, Ryuuk the Shinigami died", Meguru finished his thought.

"Why?"

"I don't know why exactly, but I have a theory."

"Go on."

Raito hung on to every word he was saying, eyes filled with interest. He looked like a child listening to a storyteller.

"I don't remember much of why I happened to get here, but I know that, the last time I was in the future, I was dying."

Raito got uneasy, but remained quiet.

"Ryuuk tried to kill me by writing my name in his death note. In that moment, I thought that everything was over, I had only forty seconds to live." He explained as if such things didn't matter to him anymore, even when it involved his life. "But sometime within the span of those forty seconds, a white light spread over my eyes, blinding me. I got off cold. The next thing I knew, I was in your room, and you were staring at me."

"Are you saying that you became a shinigami by time travel?"

"I think so", the young boy was examining his features, "But not wholly. I think that there were limitations in the exchange."

"What do you mean?"

"For instance, I didn't have the shinigami eyes."

"Shinigami eyes?" Raito looked puzzled. Ryuuk never mentioned about having different eyes.

"Shinigami have eyes different from ordinary humans. With their eyes, they can see any human's name and life span, making it easy for them to kill people." He explained.

"And between the shinigami and the owner of the death note, an eye trade can be made, allowing that person to see the name and life span of other humans."

A certain anger rose within him. It was just like Ryuuk to not tell him something important such as this. At least he was dead.

"But it comes with a certain price. The person willing to do the eye trade will have to pay the eyes by cutting his lifespan in half." Raito's anger ceased immediately. It was probably better to not have heard it from Ryuuk after all. His life is more important to him.

"If I did become a real shinigami, then I would have the eyes, right?" He was looking at Raito. "But when I look at you, or anyone else for that matter, all I see is their face. Which is why this "becoming a shinigami" theory never crossed my mind until now."

"When that girl spilled you with coffee"

"Well, yes. As I said before." He reached for a book.

"Here" He gave it to Raito. "Throw it at me with all your might so as I would get hurt."

Raito did. Unsurprisingly, it just went through him. Then he understood.

"As I told you before, shinigami don't get hurt by worldly weapons. At first I thought it was coincidence, that that ball didn't hit me because I dodged it, but when that girl spilled coffee on me, I realized it."

He picked up the book.

"I think it's just a reflex. Things go through me when my body thinks that something will harm me. That would explain why a pat on the back or a simple bump would not get through on me, and I would be able to feel it."

"So, what else do you think got transferred on you?" Raito asked.

"I think I have an idea of what can and can't be transferred." He smiled at him.

"First, I think that I did not inherit any of their physical characteristics."

Raito smiled too. Any person to ever get shinigami features would just be too unlucky.

"I don't look like them, I don't have their eyes, I still get hungry but it doesn't distort into a weird form when I do."

Raito laughed at this, remembering Ryuuk's insane addiction to apples.

"I can't fly, float around or walk through walls", Meguru enumerated. "People can see me unconditionally."

"That's probably because I was born a human and even though I still wouldn't be born for the next forty years or so, I will still remain to be human", he explained.

"But for their special characteristics…I think I got most of them."

He showed his wrists to Raito.

"Like the fact that shinigami can't die."

Raito examined the boy's wrists and noticed for the first time distinct horizontal wounds on Meguru's wrists—the marks of suicide.

"I tried to kill myself twice in my life. The one time I did, it was lucky that my Obaa-chan stopped me just in time. When I got here, I've lost all hope. I tried to kill myself again, but I couldn't. The wounds heal quickly. "

Raito's eyes felt pity on the suicidal boy.

"This theory explains everything. I can't die like a normal person. The only ways for me to die are the ways which shinigami themselves die. Like not writing in the death note for a long time."

Raito thought about this, and felt sorrier for the boy. For any other person, Raito included, the idea of not dying would have been a welcome thought, but for this kid, it looked like a curse. And with all the names he had written in the death note, not to mention the names he was planning to write, he was practically condemning the boy to eternal hell. Why did the boy want to die this much?

"If this theory is right, then I think we still have a chance." Meguru said boldly, filled with hope.

"A…chance?"

"You want to know what made me so sad and hopeless before, right? Well, I'll tell you now." Meguru explained.

"Go on", Raito said, in full attention now.

"I…think that your theory might be right, about things destined to happen. But if that's how it is, I felt that we're just wasting our time."

This was scaring Raito. He had an idea of what the boy will say next.

"What if you were destined to die?"

Raito felt his body shiver. That was exactly what he was thinking about, what he didn't want to hear. But if his theory was correct, then this would all be logical.

"I lost all hope in realizing this. I thought that, even if we try our best, the results will still be the same, and it might even be worse." Meguru admitted. "But if we consider the possibility of me becoming a shinigami, then we might have a chance."

Raito braced himself. There was still a chance?

"How?"

* * *

Two weeks has passed since that failed attempt of luring Kira out, and nothing has ever been the same again. For one, the Japanese police still find it hard to trust him because of the trouble he had given them. Even now, they still get calls from angry citizens, and they still have to explain to their superiors even when they had already told them the reason for the nth time already. Because of this, the Japanese police was still wary of L's presence. The last thing they wanted to do was to have another 3,000 deaths or so that were a result of a failed experiment, all because L had thought of something. That would mean eternal explanations, not to mention a huge addition to their already mountain load of paper work.

This is exactly is why L was having trouble in progressing the investigation even further. Most of the policemen were not too keen on following his instructions, some of them not even following at all, pretending not to hear whatever he's saying. The Japanese police really were conservative in their investigation methods. If he pulled another stunt like last week he wouldn't be surprised if they kick him out of the investigation, backed up with an angry mob with torches with them.

To say that L was having a hard time was an understatement. He had to be really careful or else this case cannot be solved at all. Some nations even started declaring tolerance for the Kira killings, how irresponsible! It was like encouraging the mass murderer to kill even further.

Without any leads, L had nothing else to do but send FBI agents to investigate on every police officer and their relations, starting to the highest position down. If he was right to conclude that Kira had police connections, he should find something. At least America still supports him. It would be really hard to investigate all by himself.

Right now, he was busy browsing through the investigators' reports—a tedious task by itself, but he couldn't complain. This is necessary for the case to advance.

Sipping his sugar-concentrated tea while occasionally taking bites on his favorite cake, he busied himself reading the reports one by one, not minding if his eyes hurt from twenty four hours of undisturbed reading from his laptop. He was already on Raye Penber's report now and was bracing himself for another one or two hours of boring narrations.

Suddenly, interest peaking up, he leaned closer to his monitor as is to read the facts more carefully. According to Raye Penber's report, there had been an additional member in the Yagami household recently.

A young boy, more or less the same age as the eldest son had been staying in the Yagami residence much earlier than the time he started tailing the Yagami family. Although, according to Penber, his actions looked normal and concluded that there are no suspicious activities whatsoever regarding the Yagami family.

Yagami family, huh? This must be Souichiro Yagami's family, the Chief-of-Police who happened to be one of the few people who still supported him in the midst of last week's incident.

Chewing his left index finger, he studied the photograph of the mysterious boy provided by Penber. The boy looked extremely pale, nerdy-looking even. L smiled unconsciously. This had been exactly the look he had imagined Kira to be: Seventeen years old or so, studious type, prefers to be indoors, and if he came from the Yagami family, the strong sense of justice would be a bonus.

"Watari, connect me to the Chief of Police", he said, pushing the button on his speaker that connected him to his loyal spokesman.

"Right away."

He was getting more excited by the second. If his hunch was right…

"This is Yagami Souichirou. What is it, L?" A strong, strict-sounding voice was heard from the speaker. He sounded tense, as if expecting more bad news.

"Yagami-san, forgive me but I would like to ask you personally. Is there anything new going on in your house that I must know of?"

"I don't think so. My family is perfectly normal." The tired police officer responded immediately, more in a defensive way. He did not like the sound of this.

"Is that so? But according to the investigation I made, there is a new member residing in your house recently." L said flatly.

"What? L?!" Are you investigating our family?!" Souichirou exclaimed, sounding as if he had been violated of something. After a while, murmurs of disapproval can be heard on the background of policemen obviously not happy with the fact that L had been investigating them. Oh boy, and he wanted to be discreet…

"Yagami-san, please be calm and answer the question", L said, avoiding Souchiro's question entirely. There was an uncomfortable pause that followed.

Finally, the chief spoke.

"I haven't heard from my family recently, seeing that I never go home anymore, but if something dangerous happened, I should have known that…"

Click! L turned off the speaker before the police chief can even continue, and he smiled victoriously.

Excitement growing to the maximum, he thought of all the actions he had to do. He had to install bugs all over the house, so he can observe the boy's behavior. Maybe he can gather a smaller group from the Japanese police, consisting of only the few people who still believed in him.

He could even include Yagami Souchirou among the members. As protective he is of his family, he couldn't resist joining them so as to protect them, or in his belief, minimize the damages done. Who knows? He might even provide valuable information thinking that it would help the boy prove his innocence, when in fact it will only heighten L's suspicions.

Typing furiously, he began to look for any information on the boy at hand. He was good at multi-tasking. Shindou Meguru. L repeated the name, over and over, with a sound of longing in his voice. I have found you at last.

**END of CHAPTER 6**

* * *

HELP make this story better. Report any errors (spelling, grammar, etc) or any other productive comments in a review. Suggestions would also be nice…or just review in general. It makes the author happy…


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